One on Ones discussion

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Not very many people can say they had a 'proper childhood'. One filled with mannerisms and appearances, lying with couth to get what you wanted. It was all about appearances, and if there was one of thing Bryce had ever been very, very, good at; it was how people saw him. Usually he just melded in with the crowd; playing nothing but the little soldier to his strangely cold parents. As he got older, however, the cool they gave off became next to icy; as if they expected Bryce to suddenly turn and destroy everything. This leash was tightened and he had been reigned in like an unruly dog. Bryce was anything but. He didn't even notice his restrictions, the immense expectations put on his shoulders. He was too used to it. His mother owned a massive boutique line and was a very successful fashion designer, while his father, an ex-marine and entrepreneur in the software agency, was just as well respected. Their image had to be kept up, and Bryce was the only flaw just by being there.

Then, when Bryce was seven, his powers began to develop. The first sign had been at a New Year's Eve party he had been attending. Almost literally chained to the honorable host and hostess table, he had brooded darkly for the entire night. Around ten O'clock, the temperature in the building began to drop dramatically. No matter what anyone did, it kept falling until frost began to gather on the tables. On the ends of people's hair, icing the surface of wine and flower garnishing. It had to be cancelled for safety's sake a half hour before midnight. Bryce was happier than hell.

A second instance was during a 'family gathering' (something his mother instilled when she began to fret that their trio didn't spend enough time together... Which couldn't have been more true). Bryce was brooding inside again to begin with, and by the time his father finally showed up, he was burning. No one could tell, but he felt it anyway. Several nasty words were exchanged between his mother and father, while their child just sat back and watched. After several minutes of this, the dog chain his father wore began to slowly constrict. It stopped after a minute, but he died after being rushed to the hospital... Either from Bryce or from hospital neglect. He doesn't know.

At the funeral, Bryce's mother died as well from a sudden and unexplainable brain tumor that had grown over the past week.

After that, Bryce was taken into foster care. He still has no clue of his powers.

((Commencing~!))

He ran early... It gave him time to think. He did a lot of that; running and thinking. The only problem with the habit was that he spent most of his time alone. And God knew he spent enough time in his own company. Sometimes he just wished he had someone else he could be with without worrying about impressions... He was starting to think no one like that even existed.

Bryce didn't notice them. He kept running, one earbud jangling improperly from his ear, the other end clipped inside a special bit he had designed on the cable. It was a talent no one knew about... A creativity he didn't share. He never got a chance to; thank you very much 'family'. Always snuffed away, warned to be polite... He was just so tired of formalities... He was naturally polite, wasn't that enough? His attitude took a turn for the worse and his pace sped up a little, runners thudding along the road. Slowly, the thuds became muffled as little pricks of light appeared behind him to mark his footprints on the asphalt, glowing a neon blue in the early morning darkness.

He stopped at the mention of his name and turned around, frowning at the two guys suspiciously. "Yeah?" He said slowly, wondering what the hell two uniformed men would be doing tracking him down at three o'clock in the morning like this. "What do you want?" As they came a little too close Bryce took a step back, ready to take off if it turned out they had a less than decent purpose.

((Totally. >;) ))

Bryce just raised an eyebrow and looked back at him. "What I am?" He echoed dubiously. Letting his gaze switch to the other man, his frown deepened. Of course something wasn't right. "Listen..." He figured they were probably boozers from the comicon who had too much time on their hands. Straight from some science fiction cosplay. "I don't know if it's drugs you're on, or drugs you need. I'm normal." He turned and began to jog away; the light fading away from his prints.

Bryce stopped dead and turned to look at the two warily. "Those were accidents," he said, a dark chill creeping into his tone. "And none of them were my fault." So his therapist had told him over and over. Somehow, he had never truly believed her. "I am. Completely. Normal. Just leave me alone." As if on que, the asphalt beneath Bryce's runners began to glow a brilliant yellow, but he didn't notice. He was too intent on defending himself.

Bryce scoffed and the glow intensified. "I'm not going anywhere with you. You can't just abduct me. You and your fancy gymnastics costumes." Unconsciously, he was just begging for a reason to punch either one of them. Simply a reason to punch. "Just try and get me."

He hit the ground with a limp thud, fingers twitching with energy from the shock. By his feet, the place where he had stood only moments before was smoking. Bryce's footprints had burned themselves down into the asphalt.

Bryce was out for a couple hours as they drove, until a sudden bump in the road startled him out of a daze. His eyes shot open and he jolted upright, gasping for air as if he had just resurfaced from the bottom of the ocean.

Bryce stared at her for a moment, heart still fluttering in a panic as he tried to calm down. Now she didn't look like his abductors... "Wh..." Bryce almost fell back down to his original position in sudden exhaustion. Something had sapped his energy... "Where am I?"

He let out a breath and returned to staring at her in awe. Suddenly, he decided she wasn't a threat. "Thanks... Miss." He said quietly and swallowed at something he couldn't quite distinguish.

((Awe! I like that...))

Bryce watched her for a long moment, his emotions invisible behind a hidden expression. After a while, he finally spoke. "What do you want with me?" And what the heck was a metahuman? One question at a time, Bryce, as his father would say.

Bryce raised an eyebrow and blinked emptily. "Biological anomiles?" He echoed, fingering his dad's dogchain strung about his neck. "Interesting they would want me." He turned and went back to looking out the window.

Bryce swallowed a sigh but didn't look back. "I don't know what that is." He replied, maybe a little stubbornly.

"Miss," Bryce looked back at her this time. "You may have superpowers, but until I actually see my powers in action; I'm normal." He was still a little pissed at being abducted like that.

"You think I would have that noticed by now." Bryce responded curtly, but then glanced down to double-check himself. His throat tightened up and he inhaled sharply. Well I'll be damned. "Oh."

"I haven't saved any lives." Bryce told her quietly, again fingering the dog tags like a symtom of his thoughts. "It only really happens when... Excuse my wording miss, but it only seems to happen when I'm a little pissed off." He gave her a small smile cover up any displeasure he had with his own words.

Bryce studied her for a moment. Rachael seemed like the kind of super nice person that could pick up friends at the wave of a hand, one that probably did have tons of people proud to be called her friend. Bryce objected to her points, however. He didn't stand out where he came from; on the contrary. Although he did know he was a little odd in the grand scheme... He gave up. "If you say so miss." He turned back to the window.

Bryce was quiet for a minute, then smirked a little and glanced back at her. He didn't half mind this Rachael. "Who's Evan?" He finally asked, figuring it was some guard or something.

He nodded and scratched at the slowly melting ice on his chair as he thought. "Oh. That's neat... How far is it still?" He shifted uncomfortably in the cold.

California? Bryce stared at her, then looked back out at the landscape with a completely new set of eyes. "Wow that's... A long way from home." Longer than he had thought anyway.

"Wh..." He gulped, eyes wide. "What? Never...?" Sure he wasn't close with his foster parents, but they were all he ever had after his real parents had died... He didn't want to just take off. Bryce just stared at her some more, trying to register this.

That wasn't fair. Bryce didn't like that at all. He didn't show it, but inside he burned. "Never again..." He echoed blankly. "How... How does that even work? I was doing fine on my own before being stalked, electrocuted, and tossed inside a big black van driven by the Men in Black." His expression darkened.

The dog tags around his neck began to hum softly and glowed a light blue as that injustice settled in on his mind. "So you're saying," he began slowly. "That right now a clone of me is coming home to my foster parents? Sleeping in my bed and doing my homework?" The hum turned into a vibration, although you couldn't tell he was angry otherwise. His expression was calm and his voice was collected.

Bryce took a deep breath and turned to pacify his glare at the window instead, hiding his displeasure. "All right." He said simply, voice now casual somehow. "Makes sense."

He let out a breath and put his face in his hands tiredly. "Sounds great." He spoke halfheartedly, like he had given up. He saw this 'Victory Hill' as just another place to be lonely around different people. "Can't wait to see it." Even though he felt a little better at the smile.

Almost immediately Bryce's face was pressed against the glass. "Impressive." He said, his voice hushed in awe. "I didn't... Think it would be... Like this." Honestly, he thought it would be more like a science facility, something cold and sterilized. "Where do you live?" He glanced back at her, face cleared.

"That's where you live?" Bryce gawked at the gorgeous building. "Woah. That's... Really cool." He twisted around in his seat to glance back even as they kept moving, completely taken aback by the true nature of the Victory Hill.

((EEE ¤·¤'))

Bryce slowly nodded, thinking it over. Had always been very good at parties, except for the one where he had inadvertently ended early due to grumpiness. "Yeah," he said. "Yes. Sure. Party sounds good."

Bryce frowned at another mention of the color codes but followed her out into the sunlight nevertheless. "Yeah okay," he said blankly. "That would be nice." He had enough of questions... Time to just go with the flow. "So uh... Hwere do I go now?"

Bryce looked the man up and down skeptically for a moment, but then gave up and sighed. He nodded and rubbed the sore spot on his chest where he had been tazored, knowing it had left a mark that would be there for a long while. "It's fine sir." He said, meeting his eyes. "I can handle a lot more than that."

Bryce nodded simply and looked over at the building they were headed towards. "Yes sir. I believe you." He said, following slightly behind the man at a respective pace. A moment passed as he thought. "Thank you for changing it. This looks much preferable to what you described."

Bryce was silent. The rest of his life here. "Sir, may I ask you a question?" He said eventually, keeping his eyes up ahead just like his father had trained him to. The mention of tests put him onguard, and again made him begin to doubt his safety in this place. Tests... Living here... He just felt like going back to bed now.

Oh thank God. That was good to know. Bryce glanced over and tilted his chin up so he could peer inside the windows of the building as they passed. "Thank you. Sir, I'm wondering why we have to stay here? Why don't we have a choice in the matter? I really beg your pardon sir, but it seems kind of illegal to me." There was no anger or malice in his voice. Bryce was good at keeping his emotions out of his words for the sake of appearances, and right now his appearance needed to be polite.

He listened quietly, glancing between Arthur and the view every now and then. Bryce locked his eyes on him as soon as he learned he was a meta, however, and kept his gaze there until he was finished speaking. That put everything into place in his mind. "Yes sir." He said, nodding a little. "I understand. I'm sorry but I had to ask." Folding his hands in his lap he finally looked away and down at his knees. "Leaving my step mother and step father is something I'm going to have to accept." Just what his father would have said in reprimand.

"You..." Bryce gazed at him in surprise. "You would do that? I... Yes, I would like that." He didn't have a luxurious life by any means, but he didn't want to be kept in one place for the rest of his life. "I'll give it a month and see from there. Thank you sir. Very much." Yet his expression remained soldier-like and impassive.

((Totally. :) It's super good))

Bryce gave him a small half smile and nodded in return. "Yes, food would be great. I haven't eaten for the last twenty-four hours either." It was the truth. He had gotten home from school and crashed, only waking up near midnight to find he couldn't sleep. That was when he had taken off for a run... Only to be abducted and taken to 'freak paradise'. Huh.

He wasn't totally unfamiliar with a five star atmosphere. "Nice." Bryce expertly unfolded his utensils and set up without fuss. "This is honestly nicer than any restraunt I've ever been to... You really do make it look perfect, sir." He glanced around at the other kids in the hall, watching them discreetly.

"Control?" Bryce turned back to him, eyes flicking over Arthur's face as he took in his expression. "You can teach me to control my uh, my powers?" Powers... The word felt weird in his mouth. Reaching up, he felt the shape of the metal beneath his shirt. If he could control them, he wouldn't hurt anyone again. "That's something I would really like to learn sir. I kind of need to learn them. How long would it take?" He asked, folding his hands into his lap.

Bryce nodded. "Okay. Can you tell me what the test will be like?" He asked,and then noticed the waiter; who was still waiting on him. He glanced at the well dressed man uncertainly. "Uh," he hadn't been given a menu... This was very unorthodox... "Uh, oatmeal?" He asked more than ordered, glancing at Arthur as if to make sure.

Bryce's forehead creased slightly in a frown as Arthur ordered him such a specific meal... A meaningful one. He let it pass, figuring accurately that it was one of his meta abilities. "Sir, in the car on the way here Miss Rachael explained to me that I was an 'orange class Chemisty Manipulator? What does that mean?" There were just so many questions ricocheting around his head it nearly hurt trying to get them out fast enough. Where would he be staying? How long would the test take? What happened after the test? Will he still take school?

Bryce just flat out stared at him this time. "Be..." That was hard to process. "Become them?" He echoed emptily, and his gaze became skeptical. "I don't know if I can do that sir. I've changed the temperature, mashed metal... I've even made my footprints glow, but I don't think I could ever... Do that. I don't think I could change." Bryce sounded so sincere, his young face so set and formal it was almost hard to contradict him. It was the way he was raised... to not be a kid.

Bryce swallowed, but then gathered himself up again. "I'm flattered." Came the simple, kind of flat response. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up a little more. "I'm sorry sir... I've had a long night." Hell, he had a long life nevermind. Arthur was right... It was a lot to take in. Every new crazy thing he heard just seemed to bounce off his brain at this point, completely without effect.

Bryce let out a massive breath, letting himself smile in relief as he nodded. "Yes," he said, somehow charming in his depricated self. "Yes that would be great if we could hold off until tomorrow... I mean, I'm still in my running clothes sir." His smile faded off as soon as it had appeared, and he sobered up as if it had been a sin. Again, a result of his parent's rigorous training. Smiling wasn't charming around buisness people, but calm and collect was. "I really would appreciate the opportunity to be at my best for the dinner party tonight. An afternoon sleep would definately be in order for that."

Bryce nodded. "Okay, thank you. I think six hours will be enough, believe it or not." He glanced over at the waiter again as he reappeared with their food, and moved his utensils so he could set it down infront of him properly. "How long does the event go on for?" He asked once the man had retreated back into the kitchen.

Something that seemed reminiscent of another smile tugged at his mouth. "Alright. I don't think lateness will really matter... I've done all nighters before." Of course, there was no one his own age in the room and it was composed mostly of speeches and slow dances, but tomatoe tomato. It's all the same stuff, he figured. "Thank you though, sir. I might take you up on that. I'll have to see." He took a scoop of his porridge.

((I just wanna hug him. *.* I like him.

Am I doing okay with Bryce?))

Bryce swivled his eyes up at him and hesitated before responding. Damn it he was probably right... "If you think it's a good idea sir, I'll go." He responded once his mouth was clear and clean. "I trust your judgement." Odd, considering he was one of the head men who abducted him in the first place. The reason he was already so loyal was probably because not only was Arthur an authority figure, he also seemed to be an extremely decent guy over all. "Is there a dress code? Because this is all I have... I didn't have much time to pack."

((Not sarcasm I hope? Lol!))

"Oh." Bryce took a drink of his milk and nodded slowly. "Thank you. That will help a lot." He finished his oatmeal quietly, although he kept a close eye on Arthur meanwhile. He looked into his memories? Well that wasn't invading at all. It was probably something he was going to have to get used to... "Hey," he finally said. "Could... Sir, could you read my mind if I wore a tinfoil hat?" It was genuine curiosity, and he asked the question very seriously.

Bryce blinked at him. Honestly.... He didn't think he had ever met anyone else so sincere in his entire life. "I, uh, well," he stuttered, trying to regain some ground. "You don't have to do that sir... I mean, you have to do what you have to do. I would please ask that maybe you just take what you need from me and... Leave the rest alone? They uh, they are fairly private after all..."