"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
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Post by Dominic Weaver on Jun 15, 2019 8:29:47 GMT
Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. | The line beeped and Dominic reached out to hit the button without looking. There were always people coming in and out of his office, and looking up to respond to the secretary's call would have wasted valuable time. Gregory's voice came from the speakerphone.
"Mr Weaver, Lieutenant Regas is here to see you."
That made Dominic look up. He had been expecting her, after all, he had invited her here. The moment her file had crossed his desk he had been interested. Like Aaron she was a metahuman with military training, and they seemed to be rare enough that they should be hoarded. Also like Aaron, something about her file seemed… odd. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something to Lieutenant Isabelle Regas that he couldn't quite put his finger on. It made him think of Harry, the man he'd met before the Event. Maybe he was just being paranoid, and the people he had asked the advice of had dismissed it as such, but Dominic couldn't help but wonder if she had a connection to the Families.
"Send her in Gregory."
He finished what he was doing and stood as she entered, walking around his desk and extending a hand to meet hers.
"It's good to meet you Lieutenant Regas. And I'm sure it's cliched but thank you for your service."
He gestured to one of the chairs before his desk. Then returned to his own seat, opening a draw and slapping a paper file onto the desk. It was immediately recognisable as an American Military Personnel file, and Isabelle would be able to see her name printed on the front cover. The only reason Dominic had been able to access was his Federal clearance, and even then, there were large sections that had been redacted for him. His clearance wasn't that good. Still, he wanted to make a show of being open, and he said so.
"I'm making a show of being open because you probably already knew I had this. That and the last ex-military metahuman I met was an extremely scary individual, I'm sure you're not far behind him, if at all."
He pushed the file towards her over the table. "I haven't seen everything, I'm not really important or trusted enough for that, but I've seen enough to know that I want you."
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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
|
Post by Dominic Weaver on Jun 6, 2019 18:50:27 GMT
Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. | Frowning, Dominic sat back as Vincent pulled out his phone. It was rude, extremely so, and Dominic wondered what it could be that was so important that the man risked offending him. Not that it would make much difference at this point. Dominic had already made his position clear. The Program would not be announcing any partnership with Axin while it's public image was under his stewardship.
When Vincent started talking Dominic's jaw almost dropped. Not that the man knew the names of Heroes, but more that he had the audacity to start dropping them here. Clearly there was a huge leak somewhere in the Program, that or these Heroes had been particularly lax when it came to preserving their own identities. He made a mental note. The moment this meeting was concluded he would be tracking down the origin of Vincent's information.
His surprise would have been obvious, taking him a moment to get it back under control. He mulled over the potential repercussions of what Vincent was threatening. He liked Courtney and Rahim. They were good Heroes, doing it for the right reasons. This man was threatening their careers, their livelihoods, and ultimately, their lives. Worse, he had apparently done so without hesitation. Dominic was becoming more and more assured that the Program should not partner with Axin.
He remained leaning back in his chair. "Mr Maxfield. It's perhaps fortunate that you've said these things to me. I feel like you're a kindred spirit, and I can tell you have drive. Sometimes people with too much drive make foolish decisions."
He tapped a finger on the glass surface of his desk. "But I happen to know both Mr Nadeem and Ms Powell. They're lovely people, very powerful metahumans. Most Heroes are, it's sort of a requirement to be in the Program. We look for people that can handle themselves, whether through power or through experience. I wouldn't piss them off myself, and I've met people much scarier than they are."
Tracing his finger idly across his desk, he continued, "That and what you have just done constitutes a Federal offense. I doubt you are acting alone in this, but should you be charged with such an offense your company would drop you in a heartbeat. I've seen their kind before, you aren't worth so much to them that they'd risk being embroiled in the kinds of crime you're threatening. No paper would print your story, no news network would run it, and any way you have of publishing it online would swiftly be tracked by some of our… backroom Heroes."
His expression hardened, clearly he was not playing. "Go ahead. Publish those names. Those Heroes will be relocated and given new identities in a matter of hours. And this Program will be the stronger for it."
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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
|
Post by Dominic Weaver on Jun 1, 2019 11:11:50 GMT
Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. | Dominic was fully integrated into the American Way, and that dream, like it or not, was about money. The offer of it was expected, in meetings like this it usually came down to the money. Most things did in Dominic's experience. He did not like the words that were said however. The tone might have been friendly and smooth, but the message felt almost like a threat and Dominic bristled.
"I'm sure your corporation wishes to associate it's brand with the Program, there aren't many companies in America that don't."
It was true, Heroes had been approached by everyone from Exxon to Coca-Cola, with Heroes being well paid for their representation on everything from t-shirts to sports drinks. There were certain rules and limits of course, certain companies the Program did not want to be associated with, but by and large it was down to the individual Heroes involved. The Program would take a small cut from these license deals, and by and large these were used to pay for the equipment standardised among Heroes, along with the Program's own research and development. That and the Hero Program was Federal Department, a new one, with the kind of budget most could only dream of.
"No, it is not a winning situation for us. The Program is not in competition with your company, we aren't even playing in the same ballpark. You'll notice that Heroes license their image, they are not sponsored like sports teams. Their costumes remain free of branding."
His tone was calm and even, though it was clear he was not interested in negotiation on this point.
"You are welcome to approach individual Heroes and make an offer to them, but the Program as a whole is not interested in a partnership, we are a Federal Agency, not a commercial corporation."
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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
|
May 20, 2019 20:30:44 GMT
Post by Dominic Weaver on May 20, 2019 20:30:44 GMT
Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. | Clearly Vincent was determined to establish the relationship, made clear in his determined soldiering on through Dominic's rejection. Not that he had expected anything less. Vincent Maxfield was clearly an accomplished salesman, and no one reached the level that he had without a certain degree of persistence and ruthless determination. Which was exactly what worried Dominic right now…
He had nodded in agreement with the connection between Heroes and those in the armed forces, even if the point did not strike home for him. Even so, he had let Vincent finish before he responded. "As many would hesitate to draw a connection between New York's Finest and the military, so I would be loathe to do the same with the Heroes. They are not here to defend our country, we have one of the largest populations of metahumans in the world, and certainly the largest organised program of such, imagine the global fallout if we clearly built a relationship between the Program and the military."
Already countries were using metahumans in their militaries, and they were proving every bit as destructive as he had feared. Apparently Russia had a woman that could vaporise half a battlefield by snapping her fingers, and there were rumours the latest North Korean nuclear tests had been a metahuman rather than anything manufactured by man.
"Look Mr Maxfield, the best scientists in the world are working on metahumans, and most of them haven't got the faintest clue how to proceed. What can your company offer us that every other research facility, government and corporate think tank haven't managed to dream up?"
He leaned back. "And more importantly, why does my Program need it?"
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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
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Post by Dominic Weaver on May 6, 2019 8:54:55 GMT
Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. | Ah, the 'I believe we can help each other' opener. Dominic had used it himself, and thanks to his influence in the Program, he heard it far more often now. What it really meant was that they wanted something, and they were going to sell it through the apparent mutual benefits of a relationship. Dominic wondered briefly what Axin, a military manufacturer, could possibly want with the PR head of the Hero Program. He stopped his wondering, Vincent was here after all, so no doubt he was just about to find out.
Dominic sat himself, leaning back in his chair as he studied the man sat opposite him. Vincent went on, explaining how Axin was dedicated to the protection of the people of America, and not in fact, making vast amounts of money. It was hardly fair of him to be so initially critical of the man, but ultimately everything came down to money. Even the Program. Dominic had been wealthy before the Event, but his brief career as Surge, and the continued popularity of Heroes like Paladin and Glacia meant that the money kept rolling in.
"I'm sure we have a much more similar worldview than you think."
Dominic didn't return the man's smile. It wasn't a hostile gesture, merely one that said 'impress me'.
"A force of nature?" He leaned forwards a little. "Mr Maxfield, our Heroes are already a force of nature, their powers are a product of evolution, not technology."
He shook his head, "And I think you misunderstand the true purpose of our Heroes. They are not SWAT, they are not Riot Police, they are powerful people that want to do the right thing. People are afraid of metahumans, equipping them like we equip our military would only give them more cause to fear."
Steepling his fingers, Dominic shook his head, "No, you will need to have a clearer offer for us, I cannot in good conscience announce a relationship between the Program and Axin without knowing exactly what you intend to bring to the table."
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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
|
Mar 30, 2019 11:31:57 GMT
Post by Dominic Weaver on Mar 30, 2019 11:31:57 GMT
Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. | Dominic stood as the door opened, moving around the desk to greet his visitor. The other man was tall and slim, with glasses and closely cropped black hair. His suit was exquisite, clearly expensive. If it wasn't a thousand dollar suit then Dominic would have quite happily have opened a window and taken the swiftest route to the ground. The man was extending a hand, and Dominic grasped it, making sure to give the right impression, while reading his own from the man's grip. His father had told him you could tell a lot about a man by the way he shook hands.
Vincent's grip was strong, clearly he was a businessman, used to making decisions swiftly. Dominic smiled, then gestured to one of the chairs that had been placed before his desk. It was solid and functional, modern, but not the kind of high-class design that would have been found in an office he owned. No, he was here on Program business, so he was confined to their offices and resources. He found it useful to compartmentalise the two parts of his work.
He still wasn't entirely sure of the reason for this meeting. Vincent had requested it, and while Dominic didn't make a habit of ignoring requests for meetings, it was rare that someone had enough pull to get past Gregory in the first place. That the someone in question worked for Axin, a major weapons supplier only made it all the more intriguing.
"So, Mr Maxfield, how can I help you?"
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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
|
Mar 23, 2019 20:38:23 GMT
Post by Dominic Weaver on Mar 23, 2019 20:38:23 GMT
Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. | The request for a meeting had been moderately surprising. Vincent Maxfield moved in some of the same circles as Dominic, but they weren't even acquaintances, he only knew of the man by name, that and research after it he had contacted him. He knew Axin much better. He'd even briefly courted the weapons manufacturer before the Event. Thing had changed then. His company, Ascendant, had more than doubled in size since then, his representation of the Program made him one of the most desirable PR and Marketing CEO's in the country. In truth it felt more like he was just an employee of the Program now. It was rare he had time for other clients, but then that was why he had a company.
It was a far cry from the position he'd started in, doing odd jobs around the neighbourhood, it was even a far cry from a year ago, when he had been one of the individuals running around the streets in a costume. He flicked an imaginary spec of dust from the suit he was wearing at the moment. This one was a lot more stylish.
He was sat in his New York office, musing over the best way to introduce a new Hero to the city. New York had suffered more than most since the Event, Shockwave, then the more recent bombings. The anti-metahuman sentiment here seemed to be growing stronger daily, and it seemed to be particularly resistant even to appealing Heroes. The Program had already had to move on three Heroes who just hadn't managed to crack the public opinion of New York City.
His intercom buzzed, and he tapped the button without looking up. His secretary, Gregory, who travelled with him, spoke instantly. "A Vincent Maxfield to see you Mr Weaver."
"Send him in."
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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
|
Jul 29, 2018 18:54:31 GMT
Post by Dominic Weaver on Jul 29, 2018 18:54:31 GMT
Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + @lizevander | He shrugged, ”I’m not really qualified to say whether they are or not, but metahumans have changed the ways we view the world and our understanding of science. Whether that’s bigger than the internet. I don’t know…”
He smiled that winning, charismatic smile once more, ”Well I do always try to be interesting. Miss Evander. It seems to serve me well in my line of work.”
He frowned, it was true that metahuman crime had become almost an epidemic before the launch of the Hero Program, the news showed that such trends were still a serious problem in some countries, although others seemed to have the issue under control. ”There will always be people who try to profit from huge events, it’s just a little more flashy this time around. And you’re right, there are metahumans that want to use their abilities for good, that want to help people. I still believe that we have benefitted more from the Event than we have suffered, even with the terrible events that have occurred.”
Dominic had often wondered what the Doctor had truly intended. She had died before seeing the completion of her work, would she have enforced the law herself? She had granted himself and the other survivors abilities, could she take them away? In truth he had never seen, nor heard of a more terrifying metahuman, he still wasn’t entirely sure what her ability was, but he knew that Will’s hadn’t worked on her, and that she had been able to bring all six of them back from the dead. Perhaps there would be new metahumans with an ability that dwarfed hers, but he had yet to witness it.
He smiled, ”Trust me Miss Evander, I always have something important to do, taking thirty minutes for an interview won’t make things any harder or easier for me. I’ve learned to let things lie. It’s unlikely that there will be a disaster that requires my immediate attention during this meeting. And if there was, my secretary would have called.”
He raised an eyebrow, it was a good question, and he had heard of various similar conspiracy theories roaming the internet. It made sense, it was hard to believe that metahumans were an entirely brand-new phenomenon, and of course he knew better. Metahumans had been around for centuries, it wasn’t hard to believe that they had set themselves up as gods or saints in the past.
”I don’t know, humans have told stories of magic and fairies for as long as we’ve been able to imagine such things. Maybe that means all of those stories are about metahumans, maybe that’s just wishful thinking on our part. I don’t know if we’ll ever know the answer to that.”
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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
|
Jul 24, 2018 11:13:05 GMT
Post by Dominic Weaver on Jul 24, 2018 11:13:05 GMT
Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + @lukaspope | Dominic took the form Lukas had filled out, glancing over the details he had placed there for a moment, before putting it into his out tray. "It might take some time, it is only the beginning of the process, after all."
It was a long process and filling out the application form would only be the beginning of it. There would be interviews, power analysis, a combat test, training. Then at the end of all of that, if he was suitable he would be taken for further training, and eventually placed in the position most suited to him. The whole process would take just short of a year. It was intentionally challenging. Those who did not have the determination to complete it, would not survive as a Hero.
"Someone with your experience would definitely be a benefit for us it's true. Anyone from the forces, of any kind is a rare enough resource that we could well make use of."
He turned back to Lukas, "Now then, there's a long process, and you'll be involved in other things to do with it, if you wish to continue, but I'm afraid I do have an awful lot of work I can't just ignore. Please, I wish you every luck with your application, maybe I'll see you in costume one day."
He gestured to the door with a smile, gently, but not aggressively, ushering his guest out of the door so that he could continue his work.
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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
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Jul 23, 2018 14:00:24 GMT
Post by Dominic Weaver on Jul 23, 2018 14:00:24 GMT
Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + @lukaspope | Dominic smiled as he watched the cut on his arm simply seal up, as if it had never been there. He'd never met anyone who could do that other than the Doctor, and he'd never seen her ability in action. Nonetheless, she'd saved him from crippling injury without a scratch, was this something similar? Perhaps, but he'd never seen her with a wound of her own save the one that killed her.
Lukas seemed equally pleased with his success and was inspecting his arm as if it was a freshly unwrapped Christmas present. It was rewarding to see it, and Dominic could see why the doctors at the MNRU might have chosen to take up that profession. That and the teachers who had chosen to work at the Evergreen Metahuman Boarding Academy.
When they were finished, and Lukas was looking at him expectantly once more, her shrugged. "Now I don't know if that's what you're going to have to do every time, I have no idea how your ability really works, and how you access it. Maybe you can learn how to access that trigger without reliving that moment, maybe not. I can't help you do that, you'll need to talk to the staff of the MNRU for that or do it on your own."
He leaned back, rolling his sleeve back down once more. "It's on you now, the Program can help you if you join, but you'll need to apply, and be accepted first, and I have only a small input on that decision."
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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
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Jul 23, 2018 13:48:20 GMT
Post by Dominic Weaver on Jul 23, 2018 13:48:20 GMT
Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + @lizevander | There was a glint in Dominic's eye as he replied, "I think it just depends on which journalistic tendencies you're talking about, there are definitely some that I'd rather not have anything to do with."
He shrugged, "I'm sure that lots of people would grab that same opportunity, not least the scientists among us. Metahumans are definitely amongst the most fascinating things in the world today, they've changed how we think about everything."
He'd read her old articles, and he knew that Liz had lost her job because she had wanted to publish something that others want kept quiet. The question was, whether she believed there were somethings the public still shouldn't know. Or if she was like Will, a man who had been so determined to expose everything that had been hidden for years that he had become a man obsessed.
And then the dangerous question, the Event. There were millions, even billions of people that wanted an explanation for the Event, and to Dominic's knowledge, maybe a dozen who actually knew exactly what had happened. Dominic was one of those few. He'd been there when the Doctor, the metahuman responsible for all of this, had set the Event in motion. And he'd been unable to stop it. He'd still been excited and heady with power, and she had shown him just how little power he truly had in the world of metahumans. It had truly reminded him of his mortality.
"I don't know Miss Evander, but I don't think it was terrorism. We've been introduced to a world of people with extraordinary abilities, it has brought us some fantastic opportunities as a species. Whoever did it, I don't know if they got what they wanted, but I don't believe, won't believe, they did it to harm people."
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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
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Jul 20, 2018 16:02:47 GMT
Post by Dominic Weaver on Jul 20, 2018 16:02:47 GMT
Surge The best part of “believe” is the “lie”. + @lukaspope | Dominic listened quietly, nodding occasionally as Lukas told his story. It sounded traumatic, he really couldn't imagine what that had been like. After all, the most damage that had resulted from his own discovery of his ability had been a few scorch marks on the wall and a toasted computer. He hadn't been injured, and neither had the rest of the survivors. Only Mason had disappointment in his ability Dominic recalled.
He looked back up again, realising he had become a little lost in his own thoughts.
"Do I want you to? No, I don't enjoy the struggles of others. But nobody said this was going to be easy."
He frowned, "Some people can use their abilities as naturally as picking something up, others have to visualise specific things to do so. Those could be pleasant scenes, or they could be the stressful and traumatic ones, like the one you went through. It's different for everyone."
He shifted his arm a little, "This isn't as traumatic as that first time for you, but that doesn't mean that those memories can't play a part in you learning to control your ability. There must have been something going through your mind at that moment that we can use to trigger your ability once again. "
Dominic shrugged shrugged, "The least we can do is try…"
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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
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Jul 19, 2018 14:02:54 GMT
Post by Dominic Weaver on Jul 19, 2018 14:02:54 GMT
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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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
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Jul 16, 2018 20:19:00 GMT
Post by Dominic Weaver on Jul 16, 2018 20:19:00 GMT
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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"I wanna feel that power surge."
ALIAS
Surge
CLASSIFICATION
Blaster
POWER
Electrokinesis
AGE
29
Civilian
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Post by Dominic Weaver on Jul 15, 2018 9:40:51 GMT
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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