2013.04.08 - The Little Dude Glows Blue

Finally, the weather in New York is /cool/ rather than /cold/. Jeremy's grateful, in no small part due to the fact that he no longer has to go out in a coat so large it makes him look like he's playing a childish game of dress-up. The boy's out on an errand for one of the shelters he stays at again, carrying a couple fair-sized bags of groceries back from the corner store. Looks like he stopped within his capability to carry them, though...if only just. He looks to be in a decent mood, but every so often he looks behind him or off to the side as he walks, like he's looking for something.

It's not really a usual sight for a sleek, expensive car to be pulling up outside of 28 Macombs Place, but there is one sliding to a stop even as Jeremy walks along the street. The driver gets out and moves to open the back door, letting out none other than Fern Fiddlehead. "Thank you, and please thank Warren again. I really could have taken the subway," she adds, her voice a low admonishment that will hopefully also be carried back to the driver's employer. Said driver gives Fern an indulgent smile, nodding his head. "I will, Miss." She steps up onto the sidewalk, watching as the car moves off, a wistfulness to her eyes. With a sigh she turns and looks up at her building, and hesitates as if reluctant to go inside. This may even be proven a bit more as she notices a neighbor on the next stoop, calling over with a wave, "Hey Harold." She doesn't get a reply, she never does, but she'll try again next time.

Whatever it was Jeremy was looking for, he's distracted from that by the sight of the ritzy auto outside Fern's place. "/Wow/!" he says, staring with widened eyes at the car and walking over towards it to gape, not even at first seeing who it was that got out. As the car pulls off, though...yeah, he notices. "M-Miss Fern?" He looks back and forth between the retreating car and Fern, astonished.

Fern spins abruptly, her eyes lighting up at the familiar address. "Jeremy! I haven't seen you in days, how are you?" Well, she's not been around the neighborhood much in days, either. She notes his eyes shift to the car and she blushes lightly, "It's a friend's car. He doesn't like me taking the subway." She's dressed for the slightly warmer weather as well, in fact a little under dressed in her impatience for Spring to get it in gear already. Her coat is a tan, lightweight raincoat, and beneath she wears a skirt and t-shirt. No tights, letting her legs get some air, and there are green sneakers on her feet.

"I-I was thinkin' maybe you were a secret heiress or somethin'!" Jeremy blurts, stepping over to her. He goes a little red. "Um, that's...I mean...wow. That's a neat kind of friend to have!" He gives one last look to the retreating car, smiling, but a look of concern crosses his face a moment later. "Um...but I think maybe you oughta be careful about showin' up in somethin' like that too often. Um...people might get the wrong idea." He looks up at her again. "I mean...um...the wrong kind of people might get the wrong idea. You know?"

There's a laugh, and Fern grins, "Nope, just a normal girl from Ohio." She nods to the boy's words, rolling her eyes, "I know, right? I tried to tell him that. He doesn't quite understand." From the tone of her voice, a little exasperated, there might have been a 'discussion' about the mode of transportation. "His place isn't even far, up by Central Park, so it's not like I would have had a long way to go." But her friend is an admitted 'spoiled brat'. She eyes the bags he carries, "Another grocery run? Need any help getting them back ok? I could walk with you." Still putting off going into her dreary little apartment?

Jeremy at first looks like he's going to refuse (he's a big strong man, after all, he can carry the bags himself!). But...he seems to get something. Not fully, but...something. "Um...okay, yeah. If you don't mind, Miss Fern. I don't want to trouble you." He offers one of the bags, smiling at her. "You oughta tell him to just get a crappy-lookin' car too, then! I mean, it looks like he could probably afford one. Then you'll both be happy! Though it's got to be neat ridin' in somethin' like that." He shivers momentarily, then, and looks back over his shoulder again, frowning.

Fern accepts the bag, cradling it in her arm, "I don't mind a bit." Her brows lift at Jeremy's suggestion, then her face falls again. "I'm worried that if I bring it up he'll just take it into his head to get me a car and be done with it. Just because he can, doesn't mean he ought." Despite the words, there is a little bit of a pleased smile playing around her lips and she admits, "He really is just trying to be thoughtful. And yeah... that car is pretty sweet, Jeremy, but I'll never tell him I think so." She doesn't notice the shiver, but she does note the boy's frown, and her own smile dampens. "Everything ok? You look like a goose walked over your grave."

Jeremy shakes his head a little. "Um...yeah. Sorry. I-I just...I've felt like there's somethin' there for a little, and..." And for just a moment--a moment, but it does happen--he stumbles, and actually seems a little bit transparent. It isn't much, and it isn't for more than a second...but it happens. The boy shakes his head a little, recovering, and coughs. "Um, sorry...I guess it's nothin'. What were we talkin' about?"

As Jeremy mentions 'something there' Fern turns, but she doesn't see anything unusual on the street, so she looks back to him, about to ask, when he... flickers? She blinks, actually reaching up with one hand to rub the heel against her eye, and then focuses on Jeremy again, frowning lightly. That was weird. But weird is becoming the new normal, in Fern's world. There's concern in her voice as she says, "No, sweetie, are you ok? You want to sit on the steps for a couple minutes?" She lapses into the light endearment without thought, but doesn't reach to touch him.

"Huh? Oh...yeah, I'm fine," Jeremy says, blushing at the 'sweetie'. "Um...I just got a little dizzy for a second, but...I-I'm okay, I just..."

He's interrupted, though, by a loud yell as a big, burly thug--at least 6'8" and with more muscles than most pro wrestlers--steps out of an alley nearby. An unlucky passerby happens to be standing where the thug evidently would like to be standing, and gets slugged right in the face and knocked down to the ground. The thug kicks him once, then moves on to another target, grabbing a woman by the throat and lifting her in the air with ease.

"Hey!" Jeremy yelps, and quickly sets down the bag he's still carrying. "Stay back, Miss Fern!" A glowing blue light surrounds him, and he runs towards the thug.

The word dizzy does nothing at all to ease Fern's frown, but with the interruption her thoughts of getting the boy to sit with her are gone. She yells out almost exactly at the same time Jeremey does, the same thing, "Hey!" In her hesitation, Jeremy is already putting his bag down and... glowing blue. Does she know anyone else that doesn't have some special power? She's starting to feel like the outcast, not her exceptional friends. Blue or not, though, he's just a kid, and Fern calls, "Jeremy!" At once she casts around for something to pick up as a weapon, something that should be almost second nature to her by now, and she spies a hammer on the steps where Harold is no longer sitting. She quickly tucks both bags together by the stairs, and reaches, hefting the hammer in her hand. It feels good enough, and she looks back to see what's happened in the couple seconds that took.

"Put her down! Now, mister!" Jeremy yells, clearing the distance pretty fast and raising a hand towards the big man.

The big man looks over, enraged, and...complies, surprisingly enough. Not gently, but he complies, dropping the woman to the sidewalk where she lands on her bottom. The woman scampers away in terror, and the big man glares at the glowing boy. "You."

"Me? Wh-what about me?" Jeremy asks...only for the big man to suddenly charge in and swing a fist at his gut. Jeremy just stands there and takes the blow--which doesn't even make an impact noise, one might note. "Mister, please...just stop, okay? Let's talk about this!"

Fern steps to intercept the woman from stumbling again, catching her with the non hammer holding hand, saying to her softly, "It's ok. You're ok. Call the police." She turns away immediately, just in time to see that huge fist go swinging toward that little glowing blue dude. "Don't you touch him!" she yells, starting forward, bringing the hammer up. But the swing connects with Jeremy and he seems totally unaffected by it, making Fern falter.

"St-Stay back, Miss Fern, I've got..." Jeremy starts. What happens next, though...well, Fern might have cause for concern after all. The big guy's eyes actually /glow/, and he seems to grow even larger...he has to be at least seven feet now, with even more muscles. "/You!/" he yells, and Jeremy involuntarily backs up...but not far enough, as the man backhands him with a big fist, and this time whatever that light is, it doesn't totally work. Jeremy's knocked stumbling sideways, and the man doesn't let up, kicking him full in the face and sending him falling back into a nearby alley, with the big man charging right in afterwards. A blast of blue light hits the big man as he enters the alley, but it doesn't do more than shake him for a moment.

"Jeremy!" Fern's voice is a panicked screech and she ignores his advice to stay back. The big... bigger even, guy is already moving into the alley and Fern doesn't have many options with a guy that size anyway. She lunges forward, pushing the hammer out, not swinging it, attempting to duck down and get it between the guy's legs in hopes of tripping him.

In the alley, Jeremy's still down, clearly rather dazed, but with it enough to fire another beam of blue light from his hand. The big guy is again only shaken momentarily--Jeremy can't seem to focus well enough to summon anything more, if he's even able. Fern, though...well, the hammer doesn't seem to /hurt/ him, but it /does/ make him stumble. He catches himself on the alleyway wall, and growls more than anything else, turning to glare at Fern.

"M-Miss Fern..." Jeremy moans, and slowly gets to his knees. "G-Get back...if he hit me like that he...he's gotta be super-strong, s-so..."

The big guy keeps glaring at Fern, almost seeming confused. "Woman...get back..." The eyes start glowing again, and he cries out like he's in pain, but the rage comes back to his eyes. "...kill you!" he shouts, pulling back a fist.

Well, Fern managed to get his attention off Jeremy. Well done. But... she hadn't really thought this through fully. Then again, she never does, but she acts on instinct and the training of three older brothers. She's still for a moment, watching him, the weirdest notion possible forming in her head at once. Something's in control of the guy. Ridiculous. So she goes with that, immediately deciding. If she goes backwards, he'll reach her easily and likely smash her into next week. She pushes forward, toward him, a feeble attempt to duck through his legs. As she moves the hammer is rising, she twists it so it'll come down sideways to hit with more surface, and she aims for the big guy's foot.

The big guy's not so bright...or whatever is controlling him isn't, whatever the case may be. She actually manages to get through, and nails him on the foot in the process. That...it still doesn't get much of a reaction, but it does get /some/ at least. The big guy makes a pained growling noise, and rounds on her again...

Just in time to get nailed in the face by a blue beam of light--brighter than before--as Fern's given Jeremy enough time to get his feet back under him and his head a little clearer. The blow rocks the big man back, and is followed by a second one, knocking him back against the wall, where he remains, stunned momentarily. "M-Miss Fern...y-you shouldn't have come!" Jeremy says, trying to place himself between her and the big man. He's still shaky, clearly, and he's got a nice shiner forming, actually. "B-but...um...thanks..."

Fern's little scuttle through the guy's legs ends in her ducking behind a metal dumpster, muttering darkly to herself, "Why do I wear skirts? Why do I even go out any more?" She scrapes one knee as she turns, but the pain doesn't register through the adrenalin. Her eyes are back just in time to see the second beam and the guy fall back against the wall. There's no protest to Jeremy positioning himself in front of her. "We can worry about what I should or should not do later. And you're welcome."

"Graaah!" the big man yells, and pushes off the wall. "You! You...hate you...boy..." He stumbles towards Jeremy, raising his fists again.

"I-I don't know what you mean!" Jeremy yells, holding up both hands more to try to keep the guy back than anything else. "P-Please, can't we talk? Tell me what you mean!" He spares a moment to glance back. "Um, um...Miss Fern, I-I kind of can't hit him like that again, s-so...ah!" He ducks under a big fist, which impacts the alley wall and cracks the wall a bit. "Um, um, we need to st-stay back, and...um..."

"Pay attention!" Fern yells, as Jeremy ducks that swinging fist. Again, acting on impulse, she reaches out to grab the boy. She's trying to grab his shirt, or better yet, get her arm around him, and yank him back behind the dumpster. Maybe it could buy them a second. Who knows, maybe if they both disappear behind the dumpster he'll think they're gone! Hope springs eternal. "If you get hurt worrying about me, I'll kill ya," she hisses.

Unfortunately, that blue light shield is sometimes a problem as well as a help. When Fern's hand contacts it, her hand just...stops. It's weird, like she touched something solid like a wall but without any actual feeling of touching anything...no contact, no force...just no motion. At least the reminder helps. "Um, right!" Jeremy says, and fires another--weak--blue bolt at the big man's face. It doesn't do much, but it makes him shake his head a moment to clear it...and in that moment, Jeremy dives behind the dumpster as well. Which is when the big guy lifts up the dumpster.

"Ohcrap! Run!" Jeremy yelps, pointing for the other end of the alley. He starts off, but he's holding back to make sure he's between Fern and the big guy regardless, and if she doesn't follow, he'll stop and stay too.

Fern pauses, puzzled, then pulls back again as Jeremy sends another bolt at the guy who really seems to not like him very much. When their cover is pulled away she breathes out one of her increasingly more frequent expletives. But running, that's something she can do, and she wastes no time heeding Jeremy's order this time. She turns when he points and pushes off. She feels the pain from her knee now, but ignores it in the interest of self preservation.

Jeremy sprints after her, looking back in clear panic at the big guy as he prepares to throw the dumpster. They're not going to make it...and he's not sure he can absorb a blow like that. He flinches, looking at Fern, and stops, preparing himself. "I-I can take it! Keep goin', Miss Fer..." And then he's stops, staring.

As the big guy just sort of fades into nothing, and the dumpster falls through his fading form and crashes to the ground.

Keep going and leave him there? Seriously, so not gonna happen. Fern skids to s stop, turning, overbalancing, falling over. Her eyes are on the big dude as she lands, her elbow getting scraped to match the opposite knee, the air knocked out of her with an "Oof!" She must have hit her head, because next thing she sees is the guy fade away, and the dumpster fall. The sound of it's landing makes her wince, and she says softly, "What the hell, dude."

Jeremy just keeps staring at the spot, only realizing several seconds later that the danger is probably over and he can probably stop glowing. The blue light fades, and he looks back at Fern, then at the dumpster, then at Fern again. "Um, um...okay...th-that..." He looks back at the dumpster. "Again? I-I...again?" He turns again, kneeling next to Fern. "Um...are you okay, miss Fern? I-I think...I think we're safe now."

Fern pushes to sit up, frowning as she looks at her knee, because it's easier to see than the sting of her elbow. "Doggoneit. At least I didn't ruin a pair of tights." She seems, actually, not very freaked out at all that a guy, who lifted up a dumpster, just disappeared from right in front of them. "I'm ok, Jeremy, are you?" The eyes that find him are concerned, more for him than for herself.

Jeremy is a big banged up--he's going to have a black eye from that kick to the face, and he's got a few other bruises here and there, but he looks okay. "Oh, um...it's nothin'. I mean, it comes with, um..." A long pause, and he shakes his head. "Um...it's nothin', I mean. Um, here." He holds out his hands to help her up. "I-I'm awfully sorry you got involved in somethin' like this, Miss Fern."

Taking the hands offered, Fern grunts as she gets up, moving gingerly after that landing on the concrete. "That's gonna leave a mark." She actually grins, and gives his hands a quick, soft squeeze before loosening to let him pull away if he wants. "Don't sweat it, Jer. Friends do what friends do." It's only then she realizes that she dropped the hammer, and she looks around for it.

Jeremy helps her up, smiling, and lets go after the squeeze, backing up a bit. "Um...yeah..." The smile gets a bit nervous. "Y-You're really brave, you know? That was somethin', comin' in like that...but...um..." He shakes his head. "I-I'm not gonna say not to do that, 'cause I probably would've been hurt really bad if you didn't, and...and people've told me not to and I didn't listen either..." He frowns, cocking his head sideways in thought. "Um, I think...anyway..." He shakes his head a little. "But, um...just be really careful, okay? But...I-I'm really glad you helped, 'cause that guy was totally going to smash my head to paste." He sighs a little, looking back over at the dumpster, and then gives a little jump as sirens can be heard. There's that 'meep' sound again.

Fern brushes her skirt off, then spies the hammer and bends to retrieve it. "I don't think enough," she says, dismissing being brave. "But then, if I did, people I care about would get hurt. Can't just stand there and let that happen, right?" She hefts the hammer in her hand. "I'll always try to be careful. Promise. And thank you, because I'd have been just so much jam if not for you." She doesn't ask what that was, he's skittish on a good day and she doesn't bet she'd get any answers out of him if she tried now. Her head tilts up as the sirens get close enough to be heard, and she's moving at once. She's been to this rodeo before. "C'mon, Jer, let's get your stuff and be on our way. No one talks in this neighborhood, we just need to be out of here before they show up."

Jeremy jumps a little again as she speaks to him, and nods, hurrying after her. "Y-Yeah...I-I, um, I kind of don't want to talk to the cops if I can help it, 'cause...that'd mean some attention and...and stuff, and..." He chews his lip a little, peeking out to make sure the cops aren't there yet and then stepping back out to walk over to his bag. "Um...that'd be bad. Attention, I mean. I-I mean, not that I did anythin', of course...I think...probably...it'd just be bad."

Please, the little guy glowed blue. That's not the kind of thing you wait around for the cops after, especially when the big guy with glowy orange eyes disappeared like so much smoke. "No, we do not need to be here. Nothing to see here." Fern picks up the other bag, looking back over her shoulder as the sirens grow slowly but steadily louder. "Time to beats feets, kiddo." She steps right off again, making sure he keeps up, but not dawdling. Maybe someone at the shelter will be able to look at her elbow, she'll be able to take care of her knee herself.

Jeremy takes his own bag, hurrying after her. "Thanks, Miss Fern." A long pause, as he hurries after her, and finally he speaks up again. "Um, he didn't disappear 'cause I hit him...um, in case you were worryin' about that. I-I've seen somethin' like that before, and...um, okay, I guess I don't know for /sure/ that it's not 'cause I hit him but I didn't hit a lot of the dogs last time and they all went away too so I don't think it's 'cause I hit him and anyway I'm pretty sure I can't vaporize people or if I could it'd happen lots faster, so...so I don't think it was me." He looks a tad worried about that, though. "Um...you don't think it was me, right?"

Fern hurries them on their way until they're just about to turn the corner, and then she lets their pace slow enough to talk. "No, Jeremy, I don't think he disappeared because of what you did. What dogs are you talking about?" She turns her head briefly, looking at him.

Slowing down as well, and finally catching his breath a bit, Jeremy looks up at her. "Um, there were these dogs in the park this one time, and they kind of showed up all of a sudden, and then they started attacking people...um, Mister Gabriel was there, and Miss Marissa, and...and we kind of tried to keep everyone safe..." He frowns a bit. "And...um, it got pretty weird. This one dog was getting really huge and all, and...um, anyway, eventually they all just kind of went away like he did just now."

There's a frown as Fern tries to puzzle it out, but there's so many things it could be, and that's just within the scope of her own very limited knowledge. She hmms thoughtfully. "The dog was getting huge like that guy was getting huge? Did it's eyes glow like his did?"

"Um...I guess it was kind of the same, yeah..." Jeremy says, nodding. "I don't know about the eyes. It was kind of batting me around the park for a little while so I wasn't really noticin' much other than, you know...big scary claws coming at me. And..." He frowns a little, and goes quiet, shaking his head. "Um, somethin' strange is goin' on, huh?"

Fern nods understandingly, "Oh sure, I could see how you would have been distracted." There's a pause before she answers. "I kinda think so, hon. So... what's with the blue thing?" She's seen that kind of power in use before, at least something that was colored and some sort of energy.

Jeremy hesitates a little, hanging his head a bit. "Um...it's...my power..." he says, quietly. "I-I guess I...see, the truth is, I'm kind of, I mean...I have powers...'cause...well, I mean..." He takes a deep breath. "Um, I don't know why I'm nervous. You're friends with Mister Wagner. It's okay, right? Um...I guess...I kind of get hit by things and then...I can use what I got hit by against other people. Like...that guy kicked me, so I could hit him harder. The blue light's my, um, shield, I guess."

They're still a bit short of being at the shelter, but Fern detours them to one of the building stairways, motioning him to come over. "Sit down for a minute," she says as she drops her hand to pat the step next to her. Whether he sits or stands, she goes on. "I know a lot of people who can do stuff, Jeremy. They're all really nice. They've saved my butt more times than I can count now." Does she know all these people because trouble follows her, or does trouble follow her because she knows all these people? That's the question. "They know more about stuff than I do. You don't have to, but if you ever want to meet any of them, maybe they could be some help." She won't force the issue on him, but the offer is there if he ever wants to take her up on it.

Jeremy follows her over, hesitating for a few moments, but then feels awkward about continuing to stand. He sits down next to her, looking over at her and listening quietly. Finally, he nods a little. "Um...I-I don't know, Miss Fern. I...I know I need to...figure some of this out, but I-I don't know if I'm ready for, um, you know...superheroes and stuff." He takes a deep breath. "Um, actually, I hired a detective...I-I mean...well, I didn't really /hire/ him 'cause that would mean I could /pay/ him but he said he'd help anyway. So...but..." He sighs a little. "I-I guess...if you...want to mention this, you know...I-I guess that's not bad, but...just tell them to keep things quiet if they look into anythin', okay? It could be bad."

Fern nods, "It's ok, Jeremy, but I want you to know that if you need it, I'll help however I can." She pauses, thinking, looking at the thin line of blood that trailed down from her scraped knee. "I'll talk to Kurt about it. Mr. Wagner. I'll leave your name out of it, but see what he thinks, if he knows anything about stuff like this, or maybe someone he works with." She doesn't think of them as superheroes, just as people she knows, and friends of friends. It's easier to wrap her head around that way most of the time. Then a thought occurs to her. "A detective? What's his name?"

Jeremy looks at the bleeding knee as well, worriedly. "A-Are you /sure/ you're okay, Miss Fern? We should probably get that checked!" Injuries look worse when it's one of your only friends that's injured. "Um...yeah...okay. Um...oh, the detective? Um, Mister Jones. I mean, Detective Jones, I guess. He's really nice. I-I was a little scared of him at first 'cause, um, you know...I was thinkin' detectives kind of see right through you and stuff, but...he's nice."

Ok, not the detective she's met. That would have been weird on top of weird, but she does know a lot of people that are connected, even in ways of which she's not yet aware. She absently licks her thumb and uses it to wipe away that little trail. Or, more accurately, smear it. Whatever. "Lets go drop your stuff off, and then I'll go home and take care of it," she suggests. "I'm glad that you have someone helping you, that makes me feel better. But I'll still talk to Kurt. Carefully."

Jeremy nods, slowly standing up and offering a hand to help her up. "Um...you don't have to push yourself to come with me if you're hurt, Miss Fern. I-I don't want you make yourself worse...I can take the bags..." He smiles a bit, and nods. "Um, and...and tell Mister W...I mean, Mister Kurt...is that okay? Tell Mister Kurt to be careful if he looks into this stuff. I don't want anybody gettin' hurt 'cause they were investigatin' for me."

Fern looks past Jeremy, judging the distance he has left to go, even though he never really needed her help in the first place. "Alright. These are starting to sting something fierce." Which probably means they're hurting a lot more than that, she just won't say. Surrendering her bag to him, she says, "How about you come by the restaurant in a few days, or meet me at home after work? And I'll make sure Kurt is careful."

Jeremy blinks for a moment. "Restaur...oh, right. I-I've got the card, still, don't worry." He takes the bag, smiling at her. "Um...I'll come by, sure. Thanks, Miss Fern. For everything. You're a really good person. Um...if you ever need any help, come by the shelter, okay? I-I'm not...always there, but...you know...I'd like to help..." He kind of trails off as he goes, realizing as he suggests it that she knows /several/ other people that he's pretty sure are a lot more capable. "...if I can..."

"If you need me, you know where to find me. And I know where to find you too." Fern doesn't sound dismissive of his offer, but grateful for it. "I'll talk to you soon. Get yourself gone." She takes a step backward, waves, then turns and heads back the way they came.