Averting Disaster

[Marta]

Sasha had an outburst just showing how whiney he was and how much Marta had been about him needing to relax. She had probably angered him with what she had said, but she didn’t care. It needed to be sad. How annoying. But her eyes were mostly on Jackson.

He sat down on the bench to lift weights and Marta zoned out into her own world. Nox rolling broke her out of it. He spoke to Sky and then began to leave. Oh, no! No, no, no, no, no, no! Don’t leave! Come back! she thought feeling herself begin to panic - but it was not the panic of panic attacks. It was just normal nerves.

She was left alone with Jackson. It was something that she thought she had wanted until it happened. Not that she wasn’t happy, it’s just she felt nauseated. She now understood the term ‘butterflies in the stomach.” She had no idea what to say. She just started by petting Splash on the head.

Ummm…Hi Jackson, how are you?” she said, she looked at him, hoping he wouldn’t think she was ugly and stupid. He probably did.

[Legione Sumus]

Jackson Li

Noah might have tried to bench a few more plates than he could actually life comfortably. But Nox left and Marta had a small panic attack even if it wasn't completely visible, Jackson had become adept reading people. "I'm okay. Are you good?" He leaned back and lifted a couple of reps.

"Nox seems upset or excited about that. Should we follow him?"

[Marta]

Marta watched as he lifted a few more reps. She still had the butterflies in her stomach. He had seen something in her reaction to Nox leaving. Did he know what was going on with her? Should she tell him? ”Yeah, I’m okay…” she said, but even she knew she sounded unconvincing. The thing was nothing was wrong - she just didn’t know how to deal with what she was feeling and thinking.

Marta was confused. She wanted to talk to Jackson, but didn’t know what to say without sounding stupid. What if he didn’t like her too? That would probably hurt. Could they still be friends? ”Ummm…maybe we should follow him, see what’s wrong…” she both wanted to go and didn’t at the same time. The opportunity was here and she wanted to take it, but she also wanted to check on Nox.

[Nox]

Nox rushed upstairs to the living room. Where Sky had the data streaming through the holo screen. Liv was sitting on the couch with Lily lying on the floor. The data was just undecipherable data flowing through the room. I didn't have any idea what any of it meant.

"Sky can you render this with the software Cruz and Sage are working on?"

"One minute."

Nox nodded and glanced down at Lily on the floor and sighed. He'd have whisked her up with a weave of air but that wasn't possible. He went to his room and opened the case that had the new arm. It didn't look much different than the last one, except that it went over the metal peg that now stuck out of his arm.

He removed the cap that had been keeping him from injury. It was still sore, but it didn't look bad. It would have to do. He needed two arms without the power, even if it wasn't finished with whatever Sage was doing with the nanobots.

The connection was easy and it seemed to work right away with little calibration. It felt different this time. He couldn't quite place it. There were other things in the box but Nox just closed it to explore later. He grabbed the sling from the edge of the bed to tie Lily to him if or when she woke up.

Nox went out to the living room and the data was no longer a stream of data, but a replica of his body in the middle of the room. Liv stood staring at it. "What's that?"

"Sky can you give me two images at the same time, one from when Wicked first put the nanobots in and one from most recently"

"Yes."

Two images showed up. Nox couldn't really see anything. He wasn't interested "Tell me what's different Sky."

[Legione Sumus]

Jackson Li

Jackson put the weight back on the bar. "You sure you are okay?" He stood up and walked over to her and offered her a hand up. "Nox is tough. Whatever it is he'll get through it and we can help."

[Marta]

Jackson came over to her, still trying to figure out it she was okay. The fact he cared just endeared him more to her. Still, she felt her heart beating faster in her chest at his approach. He offered his hand to help her stand, and she took it, rising to her feet.

”Yeah, I’m okay…” she repeated. ”It’s just…” she said, not able to look at him. She could do this. She braved the dream world and that was more dangerous than this. ”It’s just…I think…you’re cu…handsome.” she was going to say cute, but she changed it to handsome, thinking Jackson might not like cute. Marta looked down, her face feeling very warm and she shifted her feet nervously.

[Legione Sumus]

Jackson Li

Jackson smiled at the compliment and put his arm around her shoulder then thought better of it and removed it till she heard what he had to say. "You're cute too. And I don't want you to take this the wrong way." Jackson sighed and looked far away "But let's be friends, see where it goes. I've only had my sisters and my marks before this. I don't want to fall into old habits, cause I could. I could be charming and show off and pretend to lure you closer. But I don't wanna do that. You're family and deserve more than that."

"I do think you are cute, a little young, but we got time. If you can be friends..." He offered his hand.

[Marta]

Marta smiled and felt better that he hadn’t said the worst he could have. His response was quite nice and it made her smile. Friends. She could do that. In all honesty it was probably for the best. His reasoning for not wanting to do more aside, she probably couldn’t handle more yet. He was also respectful, not wanting to lure her into something bad. They all had a lot to learn. Marta looked up at him and smiled.

”Friends,” she said, taking his offered hand. ”I’d like that.”

The butterflies were gone now. He knew she thought he as attractive now, and she knew he thought the same. She wouldn’t let it be awkward - at least on her part. There was no reason for that. She could handle friends. ”Lets go see if we can help Nox,” she said, moving towards the stairs. Splash got up to follow.

[Nox]

Sky overlayed the images and there was differences. None of the scars had healed but some of the underlying tissues looked different. The area around the new arm implant was more healed. Layer by layer Sky highlighted the differences and Nox didn't really understand it. He would rely on the AI to help determine anything.

"Sky anything in the brain, the rest doesn't matter. Where the horde might live, where hormones and thoughts and instincts live?"

Sky didn't answer and just changed the images and revealed the before and after images. Nox didn't know what he was looking at, but something was gone -- changed. The horde was fucking gone, but so was his power.

The horde was fucking gone.

Could he live without the power? He should be freaking out. Every other time the power was gone he was freaking out. Why wasn't he freaking out?

Nox sat down on the floor his back against the couch. What did he feel? Nox didn't feel anything. Not angry. Not scared. Lily started crying and Liv jumped to attend her. It wasn't long before Lily was deposited into his lap for cuddles. She calmed as if they were still connected by the horde. Whatever bonding they'd done was something different.

If the horde was cured and the power was gone too then they had to be connected. Nox dropped his forehead to Lily's and touched her gently with the mechanical arm. Even that felt different. He whispered. "Wicked. Find the connection between the horde and the power. There is something in those scans. It'll be big news if you find it first." He didn't know if Wicked was listening now, but he would hear it later at least.

[Legione Sumus]

Jackson Li

Jackson grinned at her and nodded. "Okay, let's go."

They went up stairs past the foyer up stairs to find Nox sitting on floor holding Lily in his arms with the holographic images. He didn't look sad or afraid. But something was wrong. The Blackthorns taught them all to read people and Nox was different, he wasn't the same as he'd been when he'd come home.

Jackson let go of Marta's hand with a squeeze to say it wasn't her fault he was letting go. Jackson sat down next to Nox and leaned against him a little to offer Lily a finger to hold, she was cute. Nox responded by putting his arm closer to him. Jackson hadn't been eager to close to anyone once they were free of the Blackthorn's grip but now with the rest they all clung to each other, and they clung to Nox and he to them. Like the puppy piles in bed kept them all happy and Jackson enjoyed being close to his family even though it reminded him of what he'd done. The bad things he'd done.

"You okay?"