Shard

Heroes Villains

With a hot sun laying its gentle rays upon his skin, Casper felt a sense of freedom he hadn't been blessed with in a very long time. This walk, it was a good idea, as if his sorrows and melancholy was softened beneath the sun's powerful beams. With a deep breath, the boy took in what he saw, attempting to get acquainted with the neighborhood he now called home. It would take some time for sure but as the minutes clocked by, he was getting willing to allow it. "What did your old home look like, Casper?" Freya's light and innocent voice snapped the boy out of his thoughts and brought his attention to the girl holding his hand.

"It was..." If he'd give her the honest truth, he'd say that it was a drug cartel all around. People scraped by, the streets looked like filth, the only walls that didn't have graffiti on them were the top floors and gunshots were a frequent addition to the day. Was that what he would tell her? Of course not, but he wasn't going to be a complete liar to the girl. "It was really bad..."

"Oh..." Freya tilted her head slightly, the girl's free hand swinging back and forth as she walked. "I'm happy you moved in with us, then!"

It took a moment for Casper to offer a response, but he felt a certain warmth within his chest at the girl's words. She was sincere, and perhaps the parents were as well. Of course, he'd need more proof than he had gotten but at the very least Freya was being honest. "Me...too..." The boy finally offered, giving his new little sister a pleasant smile in response.

After about half an hour, Casper was able to find the Evo school due to following the signs spread throughout. It was beneficial to be as streetwise as the boy was, having grown up in a ghetto, despite the downsides. "Oh, is that going to be your new school?"

"Think so..." As was expected, this school didn't look as run down as the one back home, well his old home, though the interior could be a different matter. Of course, he wasn't referring to the architecture. How many Mitchells attended this place of learning? How many assholes would Casper have to fight off just to get through the day? Unlike his last school, these students were a bit higher up on the economical ladder so was he going to expect snobs? Perhaps not. One thing was certain though, he was reading far too deeply into this.

"Can we go to the park now?" Freya's bright voice snapped Casper out of his thoughts yet again, the girl bouncing up and down at the thought of going to the playground.

"Sure." The boy nodded, following along as Freya dragged him in the right direction. It was quite funny how she knew the way as if the back of her hand. The trip didn't take very long and now that he knew the way to school, that journey would certainly not take half an hour.

"Do you like swings, Casper?"

"Haven't been on one in a while." He scratched the back of his head, thinking it over. In his old neighborhood they had a park as well but it wasn't exactly frequented by children.

"You can sit on one and I can push you!" Given the boy's weight, she probably could.

"Heh, okay." Finally reaching the park, Freya's tugging accelerated upon seeing the desired destination.

"That's Riley! Let's go and say hello!" Pointing at a girl sitting on the swings, Freya brightened up further and turned to Casper with anticipation in her eyes. An old friend? Well, perhaps it was healthy to get to know some new people. Casper had been doing a lot of that lately. "Hi, Riley!" Freya exclaimed running up to the swings with Casper's hand in her iron grip. "This is Casper, my big brother!" She said that so naturally, as if he had been around for years. The two had barely known one another for a day.

"Hello..." The boy managed, albeit quite awkwardly. This would however have been a more successful conversation without the follow interruption.

Heavy footsteps joined the scene soon after Casper and Freya arrived at the slightly populated park. Children along with their caretakers were spread out across the playground and appeared to enjoy themselves, an innocent scene only a madman would want to shatter but so it was. "Everyone...!" The voice accompanying a newly arrived, ragged looking man was deep, dark and raspy. Judging from his bloodshot eyes, he was under the influence of something and his raspy voice hinted at one cigarette too much. Torn and shredded clothes donned his frame with stains of red, likely blood, splattered across much of what was revealed. Children quickly ran to their parents and caretakers while the older attendees tried to remain calm in front of their kids. "How's everyone doing!?"

"What do you want!?" The desperate, terror filled voice of a young woman offered a response which immediately caught the man's attention. She was standing quite close to Casper who had remained quiet through the ordeal with Freya holding onto him tightly.

"I want to show you privileged lovelies what you've done to us! I used to have a job, you know! I used to have a fucking family! Well, you know what...!?" The man's exposed skin began to clearly harden into what appeared to be a rock like substance, beige in appearance upon his otherwise light skin. "This right here! This is the reason everything was taken from me! You know what? I've decided that...fuck it! I'll just join the system and take everything from you! That's how this works, isn't it!?" Before anyone got a chance to react, the man charged forth, his heavy stone like feet nearly shaking the earth with each step.

"Casper, I'm scared!" Freya's entire being was understandably shaking due to the events but Casper wasn't much better off. He stood paralyzed, completely lost as of what to do.

"Shit, shit, shit...! What should I do!? Should I take Freya and Riley and sprint? If I do that, everyone else might die...shit, what should I do...!? I...I need to...!" Snapping out of his paralysis, Casper pushed his little sister towards Riley and dashed towards the targeted woman, leaving a vague after image of himself before appearing in front of the victim and caught the incoming punch with both hands.

There was a pause in activity from everyone, people appearing completely stunned at what came to pass. They weren't alone, Casper was surprised as well. "What the fuck, boy?" The man spat, clenching his teeth as his heavy fist was stopped by a mere child.

"I get that you've been fucked over...but c'mon...this isn't the way to deal with it..."

"What the fuck do you know!?" Retracting his fist, the man threw another punch now aimed at Casper. In response, the boy managed to move out of the way and delivered a counter blow to the large Evo's biceps. The force threw the man off balance for a brief moment, allowing Casper another strike to his stomach which pushed him away from the woman and her child. "You're an Evo! The fuck are you fighting me!?"

"'Cause you've lost it..." Punching this man hurt like a bitch, something clearly visible from the warm blood now covering Casper's hand. It was after all like punching stone.

"They're taking everything from us!"

"Right now, you're givin' it to them. Please, snap outta' it..."

"Enough! If you're going to stop me, I'll break you in half!" They were done talking. Casper only hoped that there were no casualties because for some reason a few people refused to move their asses. They actually wanted to see this? Meeting each other in yet another brawl, the two went at it again. The larger male would find it hard to get the beat on Casper given his speed and small size, but the stone covered man's absolute defense was hard to get through. "You've no chance here, kid."

Clenching his teeth, Casper was put on the defensive before the man continued to speak, his fists caught by the boy mid swing. Even though Casper's strength was superior, the crazed Evo before him had more stamina and a greater defense. "That little girl you were with...I had a little one like that. They took her from me."

"Sorry...to hear that..." Casper tried, allowing some distance between the two as he planted a kick on the man's thigh followed by a punch.

"I'll rip that bitch apart, boy. Mark my words. I'll rip you all apart!"

"Startin' to lose my patience with you, asshole..." Deflecting the next two blows thrown at him, Casper managed to stay stable for a while but a third strike connected with his side and sent him flying to the grass. Coughing up blood was never a good sign.

"Looks like this is it for you. See? Good guys always lose, you couldn't protect your little girl. Now, she'll be ripped to shreds."

"No..." Trying to get up, Casper soon saw a foot heading straight for his face. If that connected, he'd be as good as dead. "I can't die here...I can't. If I do, he'll kill Freya...I can't let that happen..." Stretching his hand out just in time, Casper managed to catch the man's shin and pulled him forward to rock the crazed Evo off his equilibrium and tumbled him down to the ground. Without a single moment to spare, the boy moved his body on top of his enemy and delivered three quick and powerful punches to his rock covered forehead before Casper was thrown off. Mere moments later, the two were on their feet again.

"I'll kill you!"

"I'll protect Freya..." Charging towards each other, Casper dodged the man's punch and delivered his own. With all the adrenaline in his body, the boy infused his strike with everything he had left. The attack connected, sending a shock wave through his enemy's frame and shattered the stone coating before sending him flying to the ground. The force of the attack was enough to damage Casper's arm and knocked him down to his knees.

"Casper!" Freya's voice filled the air but everything was fading. The last thing he felt before darkness claimed his sight was his little sister's embrace.

"So...tired..." The world around him vanished, his consciousness leaving his side. That fight had taken everything out of him.

Heroes Villains

Remembering where every room was located was going to be a chore. The villa had four bathrooms, five bedrooms, two living rooms and one game room. Yes, they had a game room. It was still hard to believe that Casper was going to call this place home, now. Even if all of this was nothing but a ploy, an attempt to get attention and a reputation, it was written on paper that Casper Vaile was now part of the Everose family. Casper Everose? Was that his name now? It felt odd, but that was to be expected. "They're so good!" Freya closed her eyes as she bit into a chocolate chip cookie, enjoying the taste to the fullest. How many days had it gone since Casper's mother passed away? After she died he spent two nights at the police station as he was waiting for the paperwork to be filled out. After that the Everose family came and picked him up followed by another night's sleep. Three days, it had gone three days since he was orphaned. Admitedly, he expected this ordeal to take a alot longer. Who had heard of a kid being taken in by a family of rich strangers just moments after his mother's death? It was almost as if they killed her, something which would have been much more likely if the woman hadn't clearly overdosed. "Do you like them, Casper?"

"Yeah..." In truth, the boy had never eaten homemade cookies before. One could consider it sad, for it probably was, but given his situation, the boy never got the opportunity. Now that he managed to bite down into a savory piece of chocolate chip dessert, Casper understood quite clearly what he had missed out on. These pastries were heavenly.

"I see you're getting along!" Donna's voice entered the scene before the well dressed woman stepped into the kitchen. Applying red lipstick, she offered the two a bright smile followed by a loving hug. Was she sincere? Was any of this? One couldn't blame Casper for his caution but perhaps it was a good idea to loosen the skepticism just a bit. "How are you liking it so far, Casper?"

"I met Mr. Bottomsworth..." The boy returned, seeing how Freya burst out laughing and playfully punched his arm.

"Ah yes, that teddy bear is fierce." Donna chuckled. "You'll be attending school starting Monday. It's an Evo school and I expect you to behave." She finished, smiling at the boy. Though her stern words could be considered patronizing, her voice was anything but. This woman was hard to place.

"I will..." Given his incredibly weak position, Casper wasn't going to fight her on this. True, the boy was a rebel and he didn't take orders from anyone but he wasn't an idiot. He knew when he was out of options and when he needed to comply with those around him. This was one of those times. Later when he'd gotten settled and established, he'd have more free space to roam but as it was, he could only follow the stream. Indeed, it felt like he was a dog on a collar but there was a sense of freedom in it as well. It felt good to just lean back and let the world travel him by if only for a moment until he got his strength back.

"Of course you will, dearest. You're an Everose now and we behave." Donna playfully ruffled her adoptive son's hair before grabbing her purse. "Well, I'm off to work. Don't exhaust Casper, Freya. He still needs his rest."

"I won't!" The girl crossed her arms, glaring at her mother.

"And let James study for his exams, you hear?" Dropping the lipstick in her purse, Donna hoisted the strap over her shoulder.

"We've already said hi to him so there!" Freya shot back, seeing how her mother managed a soft giggle before leaving the house. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all, but there was still much to see. James showed his true colors as soon as he met Casper but Donna and Miles were both wolves in sheep's clothing. At least that was what Casper expected of them. "Hey, Casper." Freya continued, starting on another cookie.

"Yeah?"

"How old are you?" She tilted her head curiously.

"Fourteen."

"I'm nine! That means that you're..." She counted on her fingers, finally brightening up before she turned to him. "...five years older!"

"That's right." If nothing else, Freya was sure to brighten the mood. It was unexpected mainly because Casper had never been around a little girl like her before. In fact, even though he was a kid himself, he had never spent much time with others his age or younger. "Freya, can we take a walk outside?" Now that it was daytime, perhaps it was good to get aquinted with the neighborhood. Casper had no clue how to orient himself in his new home, much less the exterior and he'd rather not get lost on his first day of school.

"Sure! But we've got to get back before lunch time or James will get mad."

"We will, I just wanna' know my way around."

"Alright! Come on!" Freya jumped down from her seat before dragging her adoptive brother towards the hall. The girl was always in a hurry, that much was certain. Slipping into their shoes, the two found themselves outside quite fast. Now that Casper got a good view of the neighborhood, he could clearly draw the differences between this and his old home. They were worlds apart.

"It's pretty..." The boy spoke, his quiet voice reaching Freya's ears before the girl giggled in response.

"Before we go home, can we go to the park?"

"Huh? Uhm, sure..." Taking his little sister to the park, this was turning out to be a life Casper never expected to have.

Heroes Villains

"Do you like it?" Freya pulled her new older brother into the little girl's bedroom. Casper never believed in gendered colors, he couldn't care less if a person was a girl or a boy in terms of color schemes but it would seem like this family decided to follow the stereotype. Pink as far as the eye could see, her many teddy bears and dolls were neatly rowed up next to each other along her drawers. A sweet scent of strawberry filled the air, adding to the otherwise picturesque appearance of this little princess's room.

"It's...pretty..." Casper reached for a teddy bear, carefully wrapping his fingers around its tummy as he felt the softness caressing his fingertips. Brown like chocolate with a pair of bright blue eyes stitched on, the teddy bear gazed back at the boy with its small and stumpy limbs stretched out, prepared for a tight hug.

"That's Mr. Bottomsworth!" Freya giggled, poking the bear's side. "Would you like to borrow him? We can put him in your room!"

"I...think Mr. Bottomsworth would like to be with his friends..." Casper put the plushy back on the drawer, seeing how Freya was eagerly rocking on on the balls of her feet. The girl had so much energy.

"Hmm...you're right! Mr. Bottomsworth always complains when he's separated from Miss. Lillytop!" Leaning in closer, the girl tugged at Casper to make him lean down. Placing her hands by his ear, she continued with a whisper. "I think they have an affair..."

"Oh...are they married to other...teddies?"

"Nope!"

"But an affair is when..." Shaking his head slightly, the boy managed a soft smile as he looked at the girl. It was best to let her have her role play continue on without any disturbance. "Can ya' show me more of the house?"

"Sure! Come on, let's go and say hello to James!" Freya continued, pulling Casper along like a rag doll. If she had Casper's mutation, she'd rip everyone's arms off. Hurrying out of her room, Freya pulled her new brother through the large corridor and back towards his room before reaching her hand up to the knob of the door opposite Casper's. "James!" She exclaimed, opening the door to reveal a young man sitting by his desk with several books spread out in front of him. An attractive face had blessed this teenager with powerful cheekbones and a masculine appearance expected of a jock, for that was his title.

"I've told you to knock before coming in, Freya!" James returned, his eyes lingering on the books, not caring to look up.

"But Casper's here! You've got to meet him!" The little sister retorted, stepping into her blood brother's room. She noticed however that tugging at Casper was a completely useless feat now that he didn't allow himself to be dragged further. He didn't budge in the slightest as she tugged at him. "Don't be shy, Casper!"

Looking up from his studies, James looked at the new boy with a raised eyebrow. Skeptical would be a far too underwhelming description of the looks he gave the smaller boy. "Casper, huh?"

"Hello..."

"So you're the stray mother and father decided to bring in." James continued, his dark voice matching his large and attractive frame quite well. The grin across his lips appeared to be of the mocking kind, his very being rubbing Casper the wrong way. Choosing to remain silent, Casper didn't return a response but allowed his 'older brother' as it was, to keep going. "I was told you're an Evo. Super strength, was it? Well let me inform you of something. If you hurt my little sister, I don't care what you do can do, I will make sure no one finds what's left of you."

"Casper's a sweetheart!" Freya crossed her arms, looking at James with a frown. "He'd never hurt me! He's like Mr. Bottomsworth."

"Nice to meet ya' too, James..." Casper finally spoke, his light voice the complete opposite of James.

"We'll see." The larger male finished, returning to his seat. "Show him the other rooms, Freya."

"Come on, Casper! James is being a meanie!" The girl started out of the room with her fingers wrapped around Casper's hand.

"Yeah, a meanie...he's a fuckin' asshole..." A soft sigh managed to escape the boy's lips after they closed the door to James room. He was rather surprised by how quickly the little girl picked up on it, though.

"Are you okay, Casper? Don't let James get to you! He'll be uhm...less mean...eventually!"

"I'm okay..."

"You're my big brother too, now!"

His eyes widening, Casper's heart skipped a beat her words. She considered him her big brother? Sure, she was just a child but it was a mistake to discard her words simply because of her age. If she said it, she meant it. "Thank you, Freya..."

"Oh, I know what will cheer you up! Mom made chocolate chip cookies yesterday! Come on, let's go and eat some!"

"That sounds nice..." The boy responded, a soft smile now lingering on his lips. Had he truly been lifted up through this crisis by a little girl? She was something else, so filled with positive energy. It was quite a nice change from his otherwise gloomy life, some kind of ray of pink sunshine.

Heroes Villains

True colors were being shown soon after Casper stepped into Donna and Miles car. It started with small talk, something which further lead to instructions which in turn lead to shunning the past. Casper had a hard time hearing everything due to exhaustion but he could pick up enough to understand the concept. They wanted him to get a haircut, they wanted him to change his clothes and they wanted him to fit in with his new so called 'family'. Was he able to fight back, he would have, though due to his lack of energy Casper could only respond with an okay. It didn't take long before the car stopped at a hair salon. Was the world truly this cruel? It was starting to seem like a joke, a bad one. His mother had overdosed on the shit she kept closer than her own son, only to launch him into the hands of an emotionless rich couple who would now call Casper their own.

Sitting down in the chair he was offered, the boy saw his reflection in the mirror before him. An apathetic expression met his eyes hidden behind bangs and a blanket of fatigue. He barely noticed the scissors coming in contact with his black hair, each snip sending several strands to the floor. "This is what I've become...? Someone's fuckin' pet...?" He wanted to rip the chair from its bolts in the floor and bash it into the hairdresser but the thought quickly left his side. He was stuck in this, there was no escape. Even though the boy had found himself in a prison wrapped in silk and glamour, he could try to see the positive side of it. At least he could see better now, right? At the end of the session, Casper laid eyes on his reflection and saw how his new haircut left his black bangs just above his eyes, now making his face a lot more visible to the outside world.

"Wonderful!" Donna clapped her hands together before she placed them on Casper's shoulders. It was apparent that he didn't care too much, however. As soon as the hairdresser made sure to remove every stray strand of hair, the boy was free to leave and once more found himself in the car. A bed, was that too much to ask for? Well, a bed and a shower. That wasn't too much, was it?

He'd need to change schools now, too. There was an Evo school in this godforsaken village he was going to live in? He had no clue and right now it didn't matter. "Here we are, dearest." Donna broke the silence, waking Casper from his halfway sleeping state. "Your new home." Impressive to say the least, Donna motioned towards a large villa. This was his new home? Well, it was big. "Come now, I am sure you are tired. Some rest will do you well." She had enough of a heart to let the boy sleep? That was a pleasant surprise. God knew she wouldn't let him into her house with an alternate haircut. "James and Freya are in bed right now, but you'll see them tomorrow. Your room is right next to James's on the second floor. There is a bathroom there as well."

"Thank you..." The boy managed, walking up the stairs as he was met by countless new impressions. His entire apartment was the size of his new bedroom. It begged the question once more, why did they adopt a kid from the slums? Was it because they truly cared? Forcing Casper to get a haircut before coming home meant that there were some things more important than those Donna claimed as her kids. Image, was that it? She adopted Casper for the sake of her image? Yes, that made sense, didn't it? As a kid Casper always thought that rich people did everything to keep a good image up, and this would greatly add to that. The benevolent Miles and Donna adopted a boy from the slums, an Evo no less. They were playing a dangerous game, however. A lot of anti-Evo fanatics would shun them for this but they probably knew that. They were playing a very strategical game in an attempt to gain friends in all the right places, including the Evo community. "I'm thinkin' far too deeply into this..."

After a long, hot shower, Casper felt a bit refreshed. It was as if the filth and the shit which had washed over him since this began was starting to slide down the drain. All he needed now was some sleep. He was too tired to even mourn, something he was sure would come in due time. He hadn't been given an opportunity to hide in a corner and bawl his eyes out but he knew that the day would come where he'd let it all out. Hopefully it wouldn't be in any physical form. Slipping into a t-shirt and a pair of boxers, Casper noticed how the walk in closet in his room contained enough clothes to last him weeks without having to wash any of them. "What the fuck is this...? What the hell is happening!? Why am I even here!?" Clenching his fists, the boy closed the door to his room and slid below the sheets of his new bed.

Perhaps when he woke up this would all be a great big dream. Perhaps he was still in his bed back home with his mother duped out on the couch. Perhaps he still needed to throw the garbage out and cook some food. Perhaps...perhaps this was all true and the fates had sown a path for him that seemed impossible and completely bizarre. An answer met his question soon after he woke up the following day. The sound of birds welcome his senses to the new morning but seeing how he was still in Donna and Miles' villa made him noxious. Everything had actually happened.

Placing his bare feet on the floor, Casper made his way into the closet again, this time grabbing hold of a pair of jeans. They were a bit big but folding up the bottoms made it work. "Hello!" Nearly jumping out of his skin, Casper spun around to see a little girl.

What the hell was she doing in Casper's room? "Ugh...am I gonna' be that person now? 'What are ya' doin' in my room', yeah...no..." Tilting his head slightly, Casper regained himself and scratched the back of his head. "Hello..."

"I'm Freya! Are you Casper?" How old could she have been? Nine? Ten?

"Yeah." The boy responded, walking out of the closet and closed the door behind him.

"Mom said you were going to live with us now." Her smile was bright, something one could have expected of young girl like herself. Silken blonde hair fell down her neck in a pony tail and she seemed incredibly excited to lay her eyes on a new individual she had never seen before.

"Yeah." Casper repeated, looking down with a soft sigh. Everything was starting to settle now. He was in fact going to live here. It was his new life, his new reality.

"Wanna' be friends?" She took the boy's hands and started jumping up and down. He had to admit, she was rather cute.

"Sure..." Friends with a little girl. Who was she to him, now? A sister? No, none of these people were going to be his family, none of them.

"Mom said I should show you around! Let's start with my room!"

"Okay..." Freya, was it? At least she gave him a warm welcome. Yes, a welcome indeed. Welcome to a new life. This would take a lot of getting used to.

Heroes Villains

Reality had struck him like a brick wall. At first Casper hoped that there was a slim chance of reviving his mother, a chance to maybe remove the drugs from her system but there was no telling how long she had been dead. Well, there was no telling for him. Those looking into the autopsy probably had all the information they needed. She had been close friends with that needle, always keeping it close. "Shoulda' taken it from her..." Blaming himself for her death was almost convincing him of such a lie, but in the end this was her fault. After Casper's father left the picture, his mother started on a downward spiral which eventually ended her up in the morgue with Casper now stuck in the police station. He was waiting for some other family to take him in, something he was forced to go with. In truth, Casper just wanted to be left alone. He wanted to live by himself. Couldn't social services hand him a room in a garage somewhere? That'd be enough. He could after all take care of himself. Throughout the boy's life he had not only taken care of himself but also his mother.

"Hello, son." A police officer looked at the boy with a compassionate smile crossing his lips. They had placed Casper in one of the back rooms, waiting for the family he would now have to call his. No, he'd never call anyone his family. After all of this shit, Casper was in it by himself. He was done with others, trusting others, letting other people close. He was done with all of it. "I can imagine how unbearable the wait is, but they've found a family willing to take you in. They're on their way here now."

"Okay..." Casper returned, his arms hugging himself as he sat slouched over in a chair. He wasn't even given time to grieve before they thought it a good idea to rocket launch him into a new environment. Surprisingly, they hadn't mentioned him being an Evo through this process. He thought it would be the first most important thing concerening him, somehow. Part of him expected them to blame his mother's death on him just because he was an Evo, but society hadn't sunken quite that low yet.

The minutes passed like claws dragging across Casper's skin, each second of the infuriating clock on the wall ticking a strike to his already anxious heart. The boy's embrace around himself tightened as he lowered his head and clenched his teeth. He didn't want to meet these strangers he was now forced to live with. There was no telling if they'd even connect on any level. Casper wasn't exactly the type of person who got along with others. "Do you have any questions, son?"

"Will I have siblings...?"

"Yes, there are two."

"Damn it..."

"It's a big change from what you're used to, I understand." Trying to be understanding, the police officer nodded to the boy with his lingering smile before going back to the paperwork on his desk. Casper with siblings? This was going to be disastrous.

"Any of them an Evo...?"

"No." The officer shook his head.

"Great..." Things just kept getting worse. Casper would be stuck in a family filled with 'normal' people? surly they knew who they were taking in. The passing minutes turned to an hour of torture before the wait was finally over. An officer stepped through the door on the left side of the room and motioned for Casper to come with him.

"Good luck, son." Casper had to admit one thing. Throughout the process, the officer by the desk had been good to him. He wasn't about to simply discard the one shred of kindness he had been given.

"Thanks..." The boy responded, following the new officer through the station and into another room. A couple sat in there, a man in a suit and a woman in a dress. They looked like something taken out of a commercial. The man's short brown hair and pearly white smile seemed inviting but to Casper it was just off putting. His wife possessed a motherly expression and reached her hand out gently upon seeing the boy enter the room. Why the hell would two people as perfect as this take custody of a kid from the slums?

"You must be Casper." The woman spoke, ascending to her feet before approaching him and gave the boy a soft hug. "I'm Donna, a pleasure to meet you."

"And I'm Miles." The man continued, joining his wife's side. "It's good to meet you, Casper."

"Hey..."

"I'm sure we'll get along just perfectly." Donna exclaimed brightly, pulling her husband closer. This was sickening.

"I'll need you all to sign these papers and then you are free to go." The officer finished, handing them all their documents. Did Casper want to sign these? Of course not, but he had to. No matter how much he squirmed and complained, they wouldn't let him live on his own. The only way he'd be by himself was in a cell and that was nothing he wanted to do. Also, seeing how well dressed these people were, Casper was starting to understand why it took so long for them to come and get him. If they thought that he'd dress like that, they could go fuck themselves.

With little choice, Casper followed the couple out to the parking lot where he was allowed entry into a car that must have cost more than the old apartment building he used to live in. Hell, it probably cost more than the whole neighborhood. Again, why did they take custody of him? It didn't make any sense. None of this did. Perhaps it was because Casper was still in shock. His mother had recently died and all of this happened right after. He was never given a chance to actually grieve or even let this sink in. He needed some sleep, he couldn't take much more of this shit. As soon as he got to this new place he had to call home, he'd head straight to bed. A small town outside of Los Angeles, Newberry Springs, that's where he was heading now. "Their takin' me away from everything I'm used to...this is going to fuckin' suck..."

Heroes Villains

Poking the food with his fork, Casper couldn't help but release a soft sigh as his eyes examined the spagetti bolognese. Each strand of pasta had been mixed together with the meat sauce and created quite a delicious combination but exterior issues removed much of Casper's appetite. Shouldn't Evos stick together? The entire world stood against them as it was and it only made sense that Evos stuck by one another. Though, the world didn't appear to look like that. People like Mitchell were in abundance and made sure to be a thorn in everyone's side when 'normal' humans weren't around to take that role. "System's in place for shitheads like him..." It felt like every rule, every law, was in place for bullies to continue their crusade without being stopped. Some bullies only understood physical language with a fist in the face and Casper was quite fluent in it. However, standing up to a bully would only get you in trouble because that makes sense somehow. Now, as long as you attempt to ignore the person dipping your head in a toilet or throwing you into a locker, you're fine. The teacher won't go close to that scene with a stick.

Clenching his fist at the thought, Casper's fork bent under the pressure and he had to fix it quickly before anyone saw what happened. "That was close..." He sighed out in relief. Indeed, laws and rules in Casper's daily life gave him only one impression and that was supporting tyranny. If it wasn't eradicating human rights, it was allowing bullies of every kind of sit on everyone else. Mitchell was on the bottom of the food chain with senators and presidents standing on top. They were all the same, and they all broke just as easily with enough pressure to the neck.

Every day was a step closer to a decision Casper would regret, it seemed. He had heard of several Evo cults and groups who are standing up against humanity but were their actions justified? He had heard of a religious sect that believed that Evos were the true face of God, that He had granted each and everyone of His children one of His own powers. If you were religious, that might have made sense. Then there was another sect that believed that Evos were the next stage in evolution, something Casper was quicker to get behind. They also believed that Evos needed to eradicate humans from the face of the earth like Homo Erectus had done towards the Neanderthals. Though, was that so wrong? The humans were doing just that, so why not strike back? Living in a neighborhood like Casper made it easy to hear about these sects in passing and he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't interested in them. It was unclear if he actually wanted to join something like that but they were interesting to hear about to say the least.

Was anyone else standing up for Evo rights? It was starting to feel like the time for peace and mercy was over, just like that politician had said. He was absolutely correct, and it appeared like a storm was coming. Of course, he was referring to the Evos, but that went both ways. In the end, would technology on the humans' side win, or would the devastating powers on the Evos side win? That technology was just as useful for the Evos, however. To sum it up, the Evos would probably win in terms of power but given the circumstances, humans by far out manned them. If humans weren't scared shitless, they wouldn't impose all of these laws and restrictions. They were poking a sleeping beast and one day that beast would wake up. Yes, it would lead to a lot of disaster but Casper was getting more and more eager to see it happen.

The day passed by rather fast after lunch. Casper didn't run into Mitchell again after the scene by the lockers and he was certainly not going to show up at the construction site after school. Yes, he wanted to implode Mitchell's face, nothing would make him happier, but that would also end Casper's freedom. Was it worth it? In the short run, of course it was, but in the long run, not so much. Mitchell wasn't worth sacrificing freedom for. Leaning his head against the window of the bus, Casper turned his music on and took a deep breath. That was another day done and over with, finally. "Gotta' cook when I get home n' throw the garbage out..." God knew his mother wasn't going to do anything about that.

Upon reaching the bus stop, Casper stepped off the vehicle and continued on the path to his house. It was all routine, something he had done often enough to repeat with his eyes closed. Such was life, after all. Slipping his keys into the door, Casper hung his bag on the coat hanger and slipped out of his shoes before entering the living room. "Hi, mom." He spoke, starting towards the kitchen. He didn't get a reply but assumed she was sleeping. Her arm was however exposed, a syringe laying on the rug beneath the couch. "Mom...?" Feeling his heartbeat accelerating, Casper hurried towards his mother and dropped down on his knees next to her. "Fuckin' hell, mom...wake up!" Placing his hands on her shoulders, the boy shook her desperately but to no avail. He pressed a pair of shaking fingers against her throat to feel her pulse and wide eyes would meet the realization. "M-mom..." Casper clenched his teeth, trying to regain his composure. The saying went as follows, you should be careful what you wish for, something Casper had gotten all too acquainted with now that he was on his knees next to his mother's vacant heartbeat. "Wake up, ma'! Stop screwin' around!" Shaking her again, the boy would have to come to terms with a reality he refused to accept.

His entire body trembling in terror, Casper fell to the floor, the tears now forcing their way down his cheeks as he was unable to register the situation. What was he going to do? Who was he going to call? Where was he going to go? Reaching for the phone on the table behind him, the boy attempted to call the emergency number. It began with a nine, his trembling finger making is way to one but accidentally came in contact with a five on the way. Damn it, he had to take a deep breath and try again. Nine, one, one, good. He managed to call the number, now placing the phone against his ear.

"M-my...my mom's...d-dead..." Uttering the sentence was enough to break him down. Casper didn't hear what the operator had said, his temple connecting with the floor as he balled up, unable to hide the cries now making their way into sound. It was indeed...one of those days.

Heroes Villains

Clicking his fingers against the desk, Casper's eyes made their way to the window beside him rather than the teacher on the other end of the room. It was math, a subject the boy had great difficulties with but didn't seem to give much thought over, either. As his fingertips connected with the cold, wooden foundation of the desk, Casper's thoughts traveled like they so often did. Was every country like this? America was passionate to say the least and had a tendency of taking things way too far. Religious fundamentalists scoured the entire southern part of the country and power hungry politicians were ready to sell their own mothers if it meant winning a pole. "Probably the same shit everywhere..." Casper turned his dark brown eyes to the teacher for a moment, looking at the equation she had managed on the whiteboard. X times Y divided by whatever, raised to who gives a fuck minus I don't care. With a soft sigh, Casper rested his chin against the palm of his hand and returned to the window. It was a rather pleasant view, after all. Not the best, of course, but the abundance of green grass called to him in a way he thought was rather understandable. One could imagine the harmony of laying in the grass a warm summer afternoon or hiding beneath the shadow of a tree with a soda in hand. Yes, the boy was quite addicted to the drink, always a soda in hand when he had the chance. Of course, economy came in the way of that most of the time and his mother didn't exactly help out. Most of their money fell into drugs and she snorted it up before she knew what hit her.

Casper had never touched the stuff. He was liberal enough not to see drugs themselves as an issue. He didn't actually care about the substance, but like everything in life it should be done responsibly. However, just like with alcohol, his mother had disgusted him far beyond what he could tolerate. If he ever wanted to try alcohol or other drugs, it had been majorly ruined for him. Now, he'd never go close to the stuff. "How long til' I move out...?" All he wanted was to be free. He wanted to be freed of his mother, of the restraints society was putting on him, of the school he was forced to. He wanted to be freed from this reality because no matter where he looked, all he could see was another wall. "Wish I could punch through em' all..." Logically he could punch through a wall, but it would probably lead to a lot more than damage control. One more physical slip up from the boy and he'd end up somewhere he really didn't want to be.

"Mr. Vaile." The teacher crossed her arms, her glaring eyes drilling holes in their target.

"Yes?" The boy responded casually, seeing her raising an eyebrow at him.

"Am I boring you?"

"No, Miss."

"Then pay attention." She returned to the lesson. What a drag. This class essentially narrowed his life down , boring and drawn out. He had to pay attention to things he didn't care for and he needed to smile while doing it. Soon enough, class came to a conclusion and the boy was let out of the classroom along with the other students.

"Hey, Cassy boy!" Again? It started to seem like today would be the day where things were taken too far. Casper needed a pick me up and fast, otherwise things could go to hell very soon.

"What?" Casper shot back at Mitchell who approached him with a grin, two other students accompanying him.

"I wanted to repay ya' for this morning!" Was he referring to the push? The guy was pathetic.

"Mhm..."

"Look, I know you want to kill us, right?" Mitchell chuckled, leaning against the lockers with his arms crossed. His two friends were there for what appeared to be protection and little else. Quite ironic how no matter where you go, bullies are bullies and guards are guards. The only thing that changes is the hardware. "So how about this, right? After school, we can meet up in the abandoned construction site not too far from here and settle shit once and for all. How about it, huh? I know you like a good fight."

"Fuck you." If only he knew how badly Casper wanted to accept the challenge. He wanted to plant his fist in their faces repeatedly, but if anyone found out about that, his life would come to an end somewhere on an island with a cell designed to keep him inside.

"Aw, you chicken?"

"Piss off." Turning to leave, Casper felt a hand placed on his shoulder and immediately reacted. Spinning back to Mitchell, the boy grabbed hold of the larger student's forearm and was just about to break it before he managed to regain his composure and let go. "Don't ever fucking touch me."

"See? He can't do it!" Mitchell laughed, nudging his friends. "Come on, Casper. Punch me! We both know you can punch a hole in my fucking chest."

"I would..." The boy clenched his teeth, his patience dropping to a dangerous level.

"Then do it!" Mitchell stretched his arms out. He knew that Casper couldn't cross that line. Sending Casper to an Evo prison was the ultimate 'fuck you' Mitchell could achieve. If Casper obliged and obliterated Mitchell's ribs, the only loser would be Casper.

"is there a problem here?" A third voice entered the conversation. It was a teacher. "Don't you four have a class to get to?"

"Yeah..." The smallest of the bunch responded, throwing his bag over his shoulder before he started towards his next class.

"Think it over, Cassy boy!" Mitchell laughed, his annoying laughter filling the corridor like a screeching nightmare.

Heroes Villains

The sound of wheels broke through Casper's music as the boy sat staring down at his converse clad feet. Converse, a pair of shoes he found himself quite used to at this point though their price was racked up through the roof. If it wasn't for sales often put out, he'd be without. Black, just like the rest of him, Casper didn't exactly shine with color. Black cargo pants, black shoes and a black sweater, one could say that a lot was left to be desired. His hair didn't help in terms of image but one could quite clearly draw the conclusion that he was comfortable with himself. Ascending to his feet, Casper took two steps forward and watched as the bus drove up to him and allowed entry. "Good morning." The bus driver spoke, a jolly smile on the man's face.

"Hello." Casper returned, rummaging through his shoulder bag in search for his wallet. A few moments passed before he finally came in contact with it and produced the amount required for the trip. Around this neighborhood taking the bus was a common sight but Casper had been around. He enjoyed exploring quite a bit and has broken the silly curfew put on mutants like him more than once. Dropping down on a seat next to the window, he'd lean his head against the thin layer of glass and breathed out. Another day at school was approaching and this was essentially his last chance to disappear for a moment and reside within his own world. They called it a school for Evos but it was more like a cage. They rounded up and sent kids to this place because they didn't trust them enough to have them out in the open. This was for everyone's best, wasn't it? Well, there was one thing that bordered on the positive and that was that Casper was around others like him. Everyone enjoyed being close to those they could relate to, but it didn't stretch further than that. Every single day it felt like they squeezed just a little tighter. How long would it take these politicians to completely eradicate Evo rights? What truly baffled the boy was how the masses sat by and silently watched. No one had stepped up to truly take the fight back to these fanatics. Casper would do it himself but who would take a fourteen year old boy seriously?

A set of minutes passed, something along the line of fifteen, before the bus finally arrived at the designated location. Stepping off the vehicle, the boy kept his eyes on the ground as he so often did while walking. The school was a few blocks away, positioned in an area where if it happened to blow up, no one but the Evos would die in the accident. The thought brought soft laughter to Casper's lips. How many would care if this school blew up? The teachers would perhaps get an honorary mention but other than that, who would cry for the students? On the contrary, politicians would use it as another act against Evos. "Well, well!" The fourth voice of the day broke through Casper's thoughts before another boy appeared in front of him. All too well known, this young man's name was Mitchell.

"What?" Casper raised his eyebrow, the grip around the strap of his bag tightening slightly. Casper wasn't known for his patience, rather he was known for the lack thereof, and this boy Mitchell wasn't the pleasant type.

"Aw come on, man! You don't have to talk to me like that." Mitchell shot back at the much smaller boy, a grin widening across his lips. Casper had been on school grounds for but a brief amount of seconds before Mitchell appeared. It was going to be one of those days, wasn't it?

"Outta' my way." Casper continued, his patience waning but his voice quiet and soft all the same.

"Or what, you'll pound me?"

"I'd rather rip your skin off and shove it down your throat..." Clenching his teeth, Casper swallowed the thought and ignored it. Mitchell was known to be the local bully, but he had yet to actually lay a finger on Casper. He knew that the smaller boy could break him in half if it came to it, but that didn't prevent him from poking the lion with a stick, constantly. Casper couldn't afford another brawl like the one which had ended him up at this school. Another scene like that would get him locked up and that wasn't being over dramatic. What truly sucked about Casper's power was that it was directly link to every action he made. He wasn't allowed to protect himself or stand up for his own integrity without breaking the law. Was it frustrating? It made him want to rip the spine out from half the people he knew. It was tearing at him in ways he couldn't describe. Every single day was a struggle because he had been shackled to the ground. "Fuck off."

"Haha, I knew it. Lil' Cassy can't do shit. You're already on the naughty list, aren't you?"

"Thinkin' about gettin' naughtier..." Casper frowned, taking a step forward before he reached his hand out and pushed Mitchell out of the way without effort.

"You used your power!"

"I so hope someone blows this fuckin' place to hell..." Ignoring Mitchell's pig like squealing, Casper opened his locker and reached for one of his books. It was going to be one of those days indeed.

Heroes Villains

Pulling his feet up to the couch, Casper couldn't help but manage a heavy sigh at the television. The boy had just managed to get his mother to bed and hoped to God that she would stay there. The woman had been jacked up on drugs enough to O.D if it was to continue. "Wonder when it will end..." Casper's thoughts circled his mind in a mix of frustration and hopelessness. Part of him wanted his mother to overdose simply because he wanted this all to end. She was nothing but an empty shell and everyday she was getting closer to an imminent demise. The woman had dug herself a hole she couldn't crawl out of anymore.

“The Evolved humans are not us, they are different, they are dangerous and they need to be detained and controlled. You’re claiming they're one of us but you’re wrong last I checked I can’t defy the laws of gravity or bend others to my will." Casper had made it a habit to keep up with Evo politics. In fact, he was incredibly interested in politics as a whole, something else to add to the surprising list of interests the boy had. Despite his young age and place in society, he wanted to keep himself updated. There was that, and one should not disregard the occasional entertainment coming from hearing complete incompetence spewing out of a politician's mouth. This was however not entertaining, not in the slightest. Evos, mutants, meta-humans, what have you, they were all treated like nuclear weapons and could be compared to prisoners from birth. Casper's mutation immediately turned him into a threat and that forced a handful of laws down his throat that made no sense whatsoever. If anything violated human rights, the Evo laws would stand on top but no one complained. The reason behind such silence was however quite obvious, people didn't see Evos as humans. "There are Evo’s out there who are capable of doing that without so much as moving a muscle and that’s not all." The politician continued.

"Wonder what these asshats would give up for this crap. All of these fucks want our powers..." In Casper's eyes these people acted like little more than children. They feared those bigger than them and did everything in their power to suppress those they are jealous of. If everyone on the planet had super powers, this wouldn't be an issue. There was probably a secret laboratory somewhere that experimented on people in an attempt to create superpowers in a can. That would be a good business idea. Given how the laws were changing, such inhumane procedures were probably going to be made legal.

"People who can alter your perception of reality to make you see anything they want, people who can make money just spew from ATM’s, and even control the weather itself. People like that are dangerous, they are not people, they are living weapons, and just like any weapon there needs to be regulation." Black on white, the politician said it clear as day. Evos aren't people, they aren't human, they are weapons. Like mindless sheep the crowd cheered this on, completely supporting the successive annihilation of Evos. Casper could only see one outcome to this, an uprising. Did these politicians seriously think that they could squeeze this hard without the pot boiling over? It would, and then the world would go to shit.

"Fuckin' hilarious how no one's considerin' the fact that Evos are exactly what they're sayin'. We're dangerous and yet they treat us like this? Just wait until the bear wakes up...Ya' know what? I'd love to see that shit." Though cynical and perhaps a bit bloodthirsty, the thought spoke of a deep rooted desire planted by these fanatics. Because of them, more and more Evo devastation would arise and it would all be caused by oppression, stress and a circle of negative energy. "For fuck sake, we're not even allowed to hang out in town 'cause of a fuckin' curfew..." The more anti mutant supremacist decided the squeeze, the more the Evo would fight back. In turn, mutants would be blamed for the outcome while no one looked at the reason. Such was the world.

"These people are out there among us and even now with the Evo registration act there are still many who’ve refused to co-operate with the authorities and want to abuse their abilities to inconvenience and potentially harm the rest of us." Every word this politician managed to speak was another nerve stepped on. How many people were listening to this crap? How many empty heads were nodding in agreement?

"Co-operate with what? It's assholes like you that we wanna' harm. It's called self defense...fuck, I hope someone shoves a sword down your throat..."

"With such an imminent threat now is not the time for peace and sympathy. An entire high school was wiped out last month, two thousand kids dead in L.A, and you have the nerve to suggest we need to give them a break!!” Finally the speech came to an end and Casper sat on his couch rubbing his forehead. A fourteen year old boy could listen to this and see the complete bullshit dripping from every word.

"If a 'normal' fuckin' person planted a bomb and killed all those people, no one would put a mass oppressing law in place for you guys, would they?" For the first time since the broadcast started, Casper's thoughts had made their way into actual words. Listening to this was like pulling teeth, like letting needles sink their way into your skin. How far did it have to go until these deluded idiots came to the conclusion that the more they oppress the Evos, the more disasters they'd see.

"Casper..." The boy heard a familiar voice reach his ears before he turned his head to his mother's bedroom, seeing her opening the door.

"Yes, mom?" He sighed, seeing her stumbling forward. She had yet to come down from her high and when she did, she'd just get shit faced again.

"I'm hungry, Casper."

"Uh-huh..." Placing his feet on the floor, the boy stood up and started towards the kitchen, seeing how his mother dropped down on the couch. He had to prepare breakfast either way, and she needed to go sleep after having been jacked up the entire night but some breakfast was a good idea. Neither one of them ate well, that was for sure. Cracking some eggs into a pan, Casper prepared two sandwiches on the side and added some salt, pepper and other spices to the eggs frying in the pan.

"What are you watching, son?" His mother continued, rubbing her eyes to let them adjust with the outside world.

"Politics." The boy returned, his soft and quiet voice making its way across the silence of the room to his mother's ears.

"Anything good?" She yawned.

"No." Casper finished, serving his mother her breakfast before he sat down next to her and silently ate his food. They both watched television together but at this point Casper was barely paying attention. His morning had been somewhat ruined from the broadcast he had witnessed and he had to essentially force the food down. "Goin' to school."

"Okay, sweetie. Good luck." The halfway awake woman commented, gently stroking her son's arm as he stood and entered his room. Slipping into a pair of cargo pants, he put on an over sized hoodie and started out of the apartment. Time to go to Evo prison. He threw his shoulder bag on and hurried down the stairs, walking out to the street and continued on his straight path to the bus stop. This area wasn't exactly the safest but he could defend himself without a problem. Though, according to this new law, he was technically not allowed to. Casper's mutation was physical and he couldn't exactly turn it off. Punching someone for him was using his power. Funny how things turn out. Sitting down on the bench, the boy slipped on his iPod and breathed out. The bus would come soon and before going to school, he could at least disappear for a little while into his own world. That's what music did, it was an escape, something he desperately needed.

Heroes Villains

Would everyone like a Skype group? It makes a lot of OOC talk easier. Just a suggestion.