Z took the crutches, adjusted them for her height, then stood up to test them. Once she was satisfied with them, she slung her bag over her shoulder and began towards the other two. She looked over at Brad and narrowed her eyes at him, giving a suspicious look. Without having to sign, her face seemed to ask 'what are you planning?'

Lukas laughed nervously to the paramedic before basically running after the other two. The paramedic watched them leave, shaking her head. "Those poor kids...they're going to get themselves into trouble again." She muttered before continuing her work.

Once the gas station was out of sight, Brand smirked. "First, we're going to get some more coffee." He started, causing Lukas to make a noise of dissatisfaction.

"Dude, seriously? Again? We almost just died!" Brand smirked, shrugging. "Plus you and Z are covered in scratches, and we're all covered in ash!"

"It helped me see the finer points of living." Brand replied, reaching into his pocket before finding his wallet before he realized it wasn't there. "Dammit...." He grumbled. "Scratch that, we're just going to my house. We gotta talk about this. Lukas, you said you saw time slow down and Z said she saw something to. I don't feel right, so something is definitely up. That second blast did something to us."

Lukas made a face at him, looking to Z. "I think he's lost it," Lukas whispered, "zehr verruckt."

Z made an annoyed face at Brand stating they were going to get more coffee. She never understood his obsession with coffee she personally hated the taste and preferred tea over anything else. "I have something to help with the scratches," she managed to sign with one hand. Glancing over towards Lukas, she nodded in agreement before swinging after Brand.

"luckily, I live basically right down the street from the coffee shop." Brand said after a few minutes, turning into his driveway. His house was a small blue one, after all he was an only child and his parents were divorced. He lived with his dad. "My dad's still at work, so it's just us." He said, holding the door open.

"How are you doing, Z?" Lukas asked, entering the house first. The house was one level with a basement. There was a small kitchen, a small living room, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. Simple.

Z hobbled through the door, having to shuffle with the crutches into the house. She gave Lukas a thumbs-up in response. Without another thought, she limped over to the couch and plopped down. Blowing out a sigh of relief, she was glad that she didn't have to be on her feet anymore. She looked out at Lukas, and signed, "Are you sure you're fine now?"

"I don't know why, or how, but I'm good." Lukas answered, sitting down on the floor like he usually did. He watched Brand shut the door and come into the living room. "So, Lukas, you said you saw everything slow down?" The ginger asked. Lukas nodded. "But I was moving at a normal speed. Z what did you see? Was it the same thing?"

Z pursed her lips in thought before shaking her head. "I saw a dark mist cover everything then shadows of people and a man who looked familiar reach out his hand," she explained. "Nothing slowed down though." She crossed her arms over each other and leaned back against the couch. She looked at Brand, raising her eyebrows at him as to silently ask him if he had seen anything.

Brand threw himself down on the couch, leaning back against it as he crossed his arms. "Well, I guess I'm the only one didn't see something. Man, I want coffee." He grouched, thinking about this. "But I don't feel...right. You know?"

Lukas nodded. "Yeah, I feel weird too...tingly, almost." His fingers combed through his golden spikes. "I really don't know how to explain it, and that's not the language thing talking. I just feel laggy?"

"That glowing blast definitely did something to us. Maybe we just need to figure it out? Or maybe we just are imagining it..." Brand thought aloud, standing up. "It's too quiet in here, I'm turning the TV on." He muttered, grabbing the clicker and flipping the television on. It was on the News, the channel his father usually left it on. The story's title was The Bluebird Prevents Another Serious Accident. It showed clips of Roselake's resident superhero spreading her famous black and blue 14-foot wingspan and swooping out to catch a couple of kids who had fallen off of Roselake's tallest bridge before they hit the icy ocean waters.

"I feel silly asking this," Lukas muttered, looking from the screen to Z and Brand, "but you don't think we got powers or something? Like what Bluebird and other superheroes have?"

Z huffed out a breath, reaching into her bag to dig out her phone. She clicked it open and pulled up an app that said whatever she typed in, in case she was around someone who didn't know ASL or she was being lazy. "We could've been cursed," the electronic voice spoke for her. She yawned into the back of her hand, but as she put her hand down, a flicker of someone standing in front of the TV flashed. She jumped at the sight, her steel eyes growing wide. Her heartbeat began racing again, and the feeling of fear and safety washed over her like it had after the blast. The soft ringing in her ears slowly came arise, causing the headache she thought she got rid of to come back again.

Both Lukas and Brand jumped to their feet. "Hey, what's wrong?" Brand asked as the two came over to her. Lukas looked at where Z had been staring. "Cursed? I don't think so. Not from a science truck. Whatever you're seeing," He said, turning back to her, "it's not real. Nothing is going to hurt you." His heart beat started to race with anxiety. "It's going to be okay." The german boy said. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Both boys looked up. "Expecting company, Brand?"

"N-No." Brand spurred out, walking over to the door. He peeked out the peek-hole, seeing that there were two people outside of the door. One was a really tall, black man, the other was a little hispanic-looking boy with very big blue eyes. The little boy looked familiar for some reason."I have no idea who these people are...I guess I can't just leave them standing there?"

"They couldn't pick a better time to drop by, whoever they are." Lukas muttered. What. A. Day.

Z fluttered her eyes while still staring at the spot where the man had been. Blinking quickly, she turned her head to look up at the two. "I saw the man again," she signed, taking a deep breath that came out a little uneven. She glanced towards the door when the bell rang, the sound making a jump again from the suddenness. While Brand walked over to answer, Z reached over to grab Lukas's wrist and pull him to sit next to her. Whatever she kept seeing was freaking her out a little and she wanted someone that knew was actually real close by.

Lukas jumped when Z grabbed his wrist, but he sat down with her, watching Brand reluctantly open the door.

"Can I help you?" Brand asked, trying to keep his eyes off of Z and Lukas. "Not to be rude or anything, but if it's not super important come back later. Unless you're jehovah's witnesses, then don't bother coming back later."

The little boy tugged that the man's pant leg, looking up at him. The man stared Brand down, making the teen rather important. "Trust me, it's important." He answered, walking past Brand and into the house.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing!?" Brand snapped as the man shoved past him. The little boy look at the graduated senior with an apologetic look. "My sincerest apologies, Mr. Newell!" He cried before toddling after the man. His big eyes landed on Z. "I knew she was injured!" he cried before hobbling over to her and getting down on his knees. Lukas picked his feet off of the ground, making a noise of surprise as he watched the child reach his hands out over Z's injured ankle. He made the same noise again but with even more alarm as the little' boys hands began to glow.

Z had one hand in her bag and the other still gently gripping Lukas's wrist. When the tall man barged into the house, uninvited, with a small boy toddling after him, her eyebrows furrowed and her nose wrinkled in distaste. She watched as the kid bent down, and when he raised his hands, the hand that was in the bag came out with a hand-crafted knife that has a polished jewel handle. She was about to slash at him, not really caring he was a kid, but stopped before she raised her hand when his hands started glowing. Z's eyes grew wide; she dropped the knife back into the bag to seem less of a threat. She slowly signed, "Who are you?"; As well as forgetting that most everyone could not read sign language.

The little kid wasn't even looking at Z because he was concentrating so hard. Lukas watched the kid. "She asked you what you are doing." He said, maybe a little more dangerously than he meant. "Oh!" The kid replied, looking up with a big smile. "I am repairing your friend's joint." He chirped, getting up as the glowing died down. "You do not require those..." He gestured to her crutches.

"Crutches." The man said for the little boy. "English isn't his first language. We are still working on his vocabulary." The man stood at 6 foot three inches. He had a very nicely shaped face with a but cut bit of a beard. He didn't have too much hair atop of his head. His skin was a mocha color. He had thick, dark eyebrows.

"What are you doing in my house? I'm going to call the cops!" Brand threatened, beginning to leave the room. This was crazy!

"That's not going to do anything, I'm with the cops, and the government." Lukas was surprised at his answer. Didn't people from the government wear suits all the time? This guy was wearing a blue muscle shirt, shorts, and flip flops. He looked like he was on vacation. "My name is Rick Bolstard, and someone blew my truck up. Now you guys have a problem that I can help with."

Z looked at the crutches when they were mentioned and gave them a frown. There was no way this kid just healed her ankle. Deciding to test the waters, she rolled her foot around and, to her surprise, her ankle didn't hurt. She carefully began to stand up while putting gentle pressure on it. She started to grin, finding that her ankle was completely healed. "It's all better!" She signed, very happy. She sat back down and thanked the kid.
Z snapped her fingers in Brand's direction to get his attention, then beckoned him to come over to her and Lukas. She pulled out her phone to let the electronic voice ask for her: "What was on the truck?" She was staring straight at the tall man with raised eyebrows and a serious expression. She wasn't much intimidated by him because her father look similar, nor did feel threatened because she was willing to cut anyone, even if they were stronger and taller than her.

"Top secret and none of your business, missy." Rick replied simply. "All you need to know if that I can help you with what's going on inside of you, and I'm not talking about what's up in here if any of the three of you even have something up here." He answered coolly, tapping his temple. Brand already didn't like this guy.

"So, you can tell me why it seemed like everything stopped moving around me right after the blast?" Rick shook his head. "No, but he can." He replied simply, looking to the little boy. "Introduce yourself." He ordered.

The little boy giggled, turning to the others. "My name is Samuel Santos, but you may or may not know me by whom I am known as, Chiron!" He cried, his hands behind his back as he stood up. "I am from space, but now I live on Earth. I have healing abilities. Other gifts I have obtained are knowledge of poisons and medicines, the ability to know what is medically wrong with someone, telepathy, telekinesis, minor shapeshifting, and the ability to read someone's physiology." Samuel explained, looking around the room. "That last ability, in simpler terms, is I can the 'read people'." He quoted.

"He also has a connection to magic." Rick explained, taking a step forward and putting his hand on Samuel's shoulder. "And don't be scared of his telepathy, he doesn't use it." Samuel was wearing khaki shorts, blue sandals, and a white t shirt with a single blue pocket. He also wore a turquoise wristband. His skin was significantly lighter than Rick's at a light tan. His blue eyes were huge. He had a mop of dark curls that was shorter on the side to outline the longer bit on top of his head that reminded Lukas of a mohawk. Brand, who was standing behind them, noticed that Chiron had two little braids, no longer than a chapstick, peeking out underneath his mohawk.

"Doesn't Chiron have tattoos?" Lukas asked, tilting his head. Samuel giggled. "That is where my shapeshifting comes in. I can change my appearance in minor ways, because I do not wish to spend much time practicing that ability. I feel that my healing abilities require more attention."

Z slowly narrowed her steel cold eyes at Rick. She didn't like the guy, but the boy, on the other hand, she was far more interested in. She put on a more kinder face when she looked at Samuel. As the kid talked about himself, she just seemed to grin a little before she signed, "He's adorable." Then a thought accrued to her. If he says he has a connection to all magic, then would that include hers as well?
"What about voodoo or witches?" The voice from her phone read off, as Z looked from Rick to Samuel. Maybe one of them could explain what the h*ll she was seeing, because if it's magic, it's not a nice sort of magic.

"Please, I do not understand the question?" Samuel replied, tilting his head. Brand changed the subject. "So what's this kid going to do to help us besides heal Z's ankle." Samuel frowned, turning to Lukas. "Do you mind if I touch your-" He paused, tapping his forehead.

"Head." Rick filled in. Lukas raised an eyebrow but shook his head. "Sure, go ahead?" He answered, making a pun on purpose. Brand rolled his eyes, looking at the wall which had a mirror. Jeez, he looked like a mess. He walked over to the mirror to try to whip some of the black stuff off of his face.

Samuel took a couple cautious stepped forward towards Lukas before putting a hand over each of his ears. "You might feel a warm sensation, this will not hurt." He assured him before closing his eyes. "In order for me to read someone, I must be in physical contact with them in someway." He explained, opening glowing golden eyes. "...Speed..." He whispered before the glowing stopped and he stepped away. "Speed abilities." The little boy turned to Z. "Do you mind?" He asked, holding his hands up.

Z rolled her eyes at her friend's pun. She leaned forward with her chin in her palms, silently watching Samuel hold Lukas's head with interest. Speed was Lukas's 'ability'? That would explain why everything slowed down for him. 'What could be mine if I'm seeing shadow people?' She thought to herself, frowning slightly. When Samuel asked his question, she gave an uneasy look. After a moment of thought, she slowly nodded with some lingering unsettledness.

"It will not hurt." Samuel repeated as he did the same thing to Z as he did to Lukas. The only difference was that his eyes glowed black this time of round. He let go of her as the glow faded and looked at her with a head cocked to the left. "...I'm not quite sure what your's is. You are connected to a source of magic...but it is one I do not recognize. Perhaps black magic?"

"....Why are my eyes purple?" Brand asked as he continued to look into the mirror. Samuel jumped off the ground, and to Lukas's surprise, did not land back on the ground. He said in mid air and rose up to Brand's height. "My apologies." Samuel said as he lifted his hands and pressed them against Brand's ears. "...You have energy abilities, telekinetic powers to be exact." The little boy explained as the pink/purple glow faded from his eyes. He landed on the ground and walked back over to Rick, who had been quiet for the last few moments.

"As Samuel just said, I believe it will be beneficial to all of you to come with us. You were changed and you need to learn how to use your abilities before you accidently hurt someone."

"Why should we go with you?" Brand asked, not looking at either Rick or Samuel. "This morning I was just a normal, caffeine addicted teenager. Now I have powers? How did you even know that we were there at the blast?"

Samuel chuckled nervously. "I was on a mission, protecting the truck was my responsibility. I was following from the air and then, the one moment I should had kept my eye on it..." He looked at the ground, looking bashful. "But then the three of you were struck by the second blast, when the machine inside of the truck exploded. No one else was in the blast zone but you there. And I could tell from afar you no longer kept the usual human composition."