[hr][center][h3][u][b][Templar Tower Interior - Elysium][/b][/u][/h3][/center]
[center][A ZombiesAnHyenas / XianaEvermor collaboration][/center][hr]


He needed to get out, it had to happen now. This was too much! This was almost as bad as the— No! Not thinking about that now. Where was the door? Fuck!

[b][color=#f7e286]"Is [i]this[/i] what you felt like, Kassandra?"[/color][/b] Dawn muttered, clutching at her heart.  Dawn’s eyes flicked past Felix to the bar, which was conspicuously vacant and squinted her eyes at the dubious amusement trailing into the back room.  She gulped down the rest of her wine and hurriedly waved her Slatephone over the credit terminal embedded in the table’s edge as she stepped after him.

[b][color=#f7e286]"Felix, wait!"[/color][/b] She called after him, waiting until he’d made it outside.  Tears stained her cheeks in dark, ruddy rivulets of ruined mascara.  [b][color=#f7e286]"Take a deep breath.  I can’t… purposefully control what you’re feeling."[/color][/b]

[i]Can’t… purpose… Feeling.[/i] Was all that Felix heard, mind and breath racing too fast even as he stepped out of the building.  The air… Maybe it cleared? Maybe it just got more open and he wasn’t in unfamiliar territory.  He took a deep breath, registering her words a couple long seconds later. 

The knot in his chest kept churning; like coils of acidic snakes chewing his heart alive. He shuddered, gasping once before forcing himself to … to… well. To focus. His mind turned itself in loops as the emotions began to settle, the prickle-wriggle sensation of high flying [i]panic[/i] falling away.

So he turned to Dawn, and spoke again after a long moment of calming himself. “[color=Orange]Okay! Okay okay. I’m! I'm trying to stay calm. Explain yourself! Please.[/color]” The whiplash of his emotions was… Something! Christ.

[b][color=#f7e286]"I can’t [i]PURPOSEFULLY[/i] control what you’re feeling,"[/color][/b] she repeated slowly, with emphasis, making sure to keep a respectful distance and keep her hands jammed into her pockets.  She sniffled and wrinkled her nose.  [b][color=#f7e286]"There [i]is[/i] an empathic component; I can’t really turn it off.  It’s just a side effect of being… what I am,"[/color][/b] she explained, dabbing the corner of an eye with a palm in a vain attempt to save her makeup.  

[b][color=#f7e286]"It doesn’t [i]control[/i] what you feel: that’s all you.  Just encourages people to be honest, both with me and themselves.  Just keep breathing, okay?”[/color][/b] She took a deep, controlled breath herself and let it out slowly.  One thing at a time…

Felix’ eyebrow twitched, anger pulsing up and slamming against the tenuous grasp he had just reasserted over himself. He blinked once, twice, breathed in deep, and spoke.

“[color=Orange]Okay. So… You have a component of your power that makes it so… What? People can’t lie to you? You can’t lie either? If that’s true then—[/color]” 

[b][color=#f7e286]"I mean… you’re not [i]forced[/i] to tell the truth, but you’re not wrong…"[/color][/b]

Again, his emotions SHIFTED like a crack of lightning. Whiplash ran through him as his voice uncontrollably grew elated. He was piecing something together, he knew he was, there HAD to be more to this! “[color=Orange]If you can’t lie, and I can’t lie either… What's different about me? Emotional response isn’t part of lying… Amplification of it at least… Brain chemistry? No. Well… Maybe? No wait— ‘Goddess’,[/color]” 

This he said with scorn, clearly disbelieving.

“[color=Orange]Of light, truth, arch…ery… Wait wait, if you can manipulate light— Which, considering what you do to my arms— would that have an effect? I’m otherwise normal, and I don’t have any hidden Thinker or Esper abilities so I mean…,[/color]”  His mouth clicked shut as he abruptly remembered to let her talk.  And if THAT wasn’t a lot. Christ. Shutting up was hard! 

[b][color=#f7e286]"Ah shit… I’m so STUPID!  I didn’t even think-  I’m sorry, I’m sorry, let me-"[/color][/b] she stepped towards him and froze for a long moment, biting the inside of her lips apprehensively.  [b][color=#f7e286]"I can shield you from it, but I have to touch you, is that okay?  Gods I feel awful,"[/color][/b] she muttered as she closed the distance, pulling her hands out of her pockets to reach for him.

[b][color=#43a2f0]"UNHAND MY SHORT KING, HARLOT!!"[/color][/b]

Dawn staggered back unsteadily as lightning sprang up to separate the two.  A sharp blast of wind and thunder.  Blue and white tights, tabard fluttering, the Templar emblem shining in the overhead light as he rode a curtain of electricity to the ground and his white cloak billowed.  He flung one corner of his cloak behind him dramatically.

Felix’ eyebrow twitched again; relief and exhaustion rising like a tidal wave to drown him. He shook it off and sighed, shoulders coming down from the tense rise they had settled into.

“[color=Orange]Ion, I swear to fuck. You just… totally ruined my train of thought, you jackass! She wasn’t even touchin’ me anymore! Sheesh.[/color]” 

The words were harsh, but the hug he threw at Ion from behind was bone crushing in its sincerity. Almost literally, if the ‘Lightning Rod from God’ wasn’t wearing his field armor. Felix’ arms were… Not to be underestimated.
Oh! His HUD was beeping at him, notifying him of a string of messages from Sovereign, and from himself TO sovereign. … That was a LOT of SOS notifications. Oops.

[b][color=#43a2f0]"Whoah, whoah Night Light!"[/color][/b]  Ion protested over the creaking of his suit, though he reached back and scooped Felix with one arm off his feet without hesitation, sweeping him to the Templar’s side.  His other arm braced between the pair and Dawn, who rolled her eyes and folded her arms.  [b][color=#43a2f0]"Ya done did us a fright, Night Light.  I ain’t as fast as Fang but, I came as soon as you blipped off the net,"[/color][/b] he explained, though he visibly relaxed after surveying the location and… the state of Dawn’s makeup.

[b][color=#43a2f0]"Oh… breaking hearts again are we, King?"[/color][/b] The smirk in his voice was apparent even through the mask.

“[i][color=Orange]Just because I’m exhausted and exhilarated to see you, I’ll let you have that one… She’s got an aura of truth-telling, low level with the less… I guess… I think my hardlight cybernetics are impacting my susceptibility. … Also I didn’t mean to— She said some intensely upsetting things.[/color][/i]” Felix whispered into Ion’s side..

[b][color=#f7e286]"Not on purpose, jeeze.  I’m an empath, not a damn mind reader,"[/color][/b] quipped Dawn as she wiped muddy streaks from her face.

[b][color=#43a2f0]"Silence, [i]strumpet![/i]"[/color][/b]

He lifted his head out of Ion’s chest, shooting a simultaneously apologetic and accusatory grimace her way. ‘Sorry. One sec.’ He mouthed to her, stepping back and heaving a sigh.  More alerts from his HUD, Sovereign asking to access his video feed. Felix accepted, and watched as his screen fuzzed for a half second before clarifying.

[b][color=#43a2f0]"Any other day I’d be your wingman, King.  Today we got two agents MIA, Sai-Guy off the grid and Chief Lady running interference with the media.  Gotta let me know before you jump off the net, even if it’s for a cause I support,"[/color][/b] he chirped, leaning his head towards Dawn.

[b][color=#f7e286]"Aw hell, If I’d known I-,"[/color][/b] Dawn cut herself off as her gold eyes shimmered iridescent for a moment.  [b][color=#f7e286]"Let me help.  I’m good at finding things, in a sense."[/color][/b]

[b][color=#43a2f0]"THIS IS A PRIVATE CONVERSATION, MISS FLOOZY!  Some people.  I swear,"[/color][/b] he muttered.  Dawn pursed her lips into a frown, wide eyes flicking back and forth between Felix and Ion..

Felix frowned and held eye contact with Dawn, ‘let me help’ huh…? … Well. A field test first then. 

He snapped his gaze up to Ion, frowning harder and cuffing him over the back of his head. “[color=Orange]Hey! The first time was okay; I was stressed and I needed it. But she’s NOT a floozy! She’s a bit misguided,[/color]” A pause, a thought clicking with others!

“[Color=Orange]Aren’t [i]you[/i] the ladies man? Wow, I guess I’m better at talking than you are mister ‘Lightning Rod from God’![/color]”

Felix looked back at Dawn as Ion spluttered, giving her a quick smile before swiftly slamming his face back into a scowl.  She smiled back nervously.  Two ideas ran in his head, and idea one required playing on Ion’s pride… Doable! He DID tell Agent… Uhhhhhh… Ducky? Agent Ducky not to scream! 30 minutes ago. 

[b][color=#43a2f0]"Uh, I’m an [i]every[/i] gender man?  Thank you,"[/color][/b] he quipped, seeming pleased with his recovery.  [b][color=#43a2f0]"Listen, I’m glad you’re okay, seriously.  I gotta get back to it: we’re super short handed with Fang missing.  They’re recalling Mitts and a few others from overseas via Hypersonic, and the entire Cyber division is rolling into town to help.  Media spits a lot of hate on her but nobody realizes just how much she actually does around here until she’s not out there doing it,"[/color][/b] he muttered with a bitter note.

[b][color=#43a2f0]"Anyway… NO TOUCHING THE SHORT KING!"[/color][/b]  He pointed firmly at Dawn, causing her to flinch.  [b][color=#43a2f0]"You.  Stay on the net,"[/color][/b] he ordered, poking Felix firmly in the chest.  [b][color=#43a2f0]"Go get her, Tiger,"[/color][/b] he smirked beneath the mask, and shot into the air with a flash of electricity and thunder.  

There was a tangible pause after he left before Dawn slapped Felix squarely on the back.  A warm energy pulsed through him leaving an… oddly geometric tingling between his shoulder blades. 

He stiffened for a moment, turning to put her on blast before… Noting the relieved sensation blooming in his chest.

[b][color=#f7e286]"If that’s the company you keep, I’m not sure I feel bad anymore,"[/color][/b] she muttered, retreating to sit on a nearby bench, before finding his hand in the crook of her elbow.

“[color=Orange]Don’t even pretend you weren’t that bad in highschool, lady.[/color]” He chastised in return, voice low and below volume as his eyes flicked through screen after icon after notification. He sent off a rapid message to Sovereign, promising an explanation if he could just give Felix a hand.

“[color=Orange]Okay so here’s what I’m thinking. One; I need to apologize to you. I shouldn’t— I KNOW powers, right? I shouldn’t blame you for something you can’t control. Especially if… Well, I’m like… sixty percent light based matter, right now,[/color]” he paused, mulling that over.  One of Dawn’s eyebrows shot up, and her eyes flicked involuntarily down to his belt line.

“[color=Orange]That's not an excuse. And anyways, two; how do you feel about fucking with a government agent who’ll be more inclined to not lie to us? … And also help me help your brother's friend? I think? You know light shit, and esper shit, and I— Y’know what? Third and final question![/color]”

He abruptly took a step back, raising his hand up into the air, palm facing the sky. Felix swept low, bowing at the waist and offering his hand forward as he spoke again. “[color=Orange]Would you like to work with me in pissing off my boss and also digging deeper into… What your powers do to me and mine?[/color]” He asked, face turned away as he swiftly added, “[color=Orange]And also because I feel really bad for blowing up at you for past instances that weren’t your fault—[/color]”

[b][color=#f7e286]"Don’t worry about it,"[/color][/b] she exhaled after a long minute, flicking one of her manicured hands at him dismissively.  [b][color=#f7e286]"There’s nothing to feel bad for, hon: this is definitely an edge case for ability interactions.  I’m the one that pulled you away from an important duty to have a bit of fun at your expense, and into an (unintentionally) uncomfortable situation,”[/color][/b] she paused, gazing at him with a neutral expression for a long time.  Her eyes shimmered iridescent for a moment.

[b][color=#f7e286]"There’s something else you should know about me: I have… a [i]thing[/i].  A hint of Clairvoyance, or whatever you’d like to call it.  I’m attracted to people and items of significance that’ll help me or someone I’m close to me [i]’avert evil.’[/i]  Don’t question it, we’ll be here all night.  The [i]short[/i] version is, we’re [i]supposed[/i] to meet, and something we do together will be helpful for either myself, or someone directly connected to me.  It’s why I wanted to talk to you privately and candidly without any…,"[/color][/b] she gestured to the Arcology ceiling.

[b][color=#f7e286]"I’m pretty sure I can trust you and your… virtual companion with that information.  Pissing off government agents, now…,"[/color][/b] she paused, a sly grin blooming across her lips.  [b][color=#f7e286]"That. Sounds. Like. Fun."[/color][/b]