004: Vivid explorer

November managed to survive school for the whole day, although it was kind of devoid because seventeen students were confiscated.

When school dismissed, he headed to Mrs. Thompson. The middle-aged woman helped in looking after his younger sister after she got picked up from the playground by his mom.

Stacey was quiet the whole time he made her lunch but didn't call him a freak anymore. He let her watch SpongeBob SquarePants for two hours, then took her back to Mrs. Thompsons, after telling some lie about a project at school.

Then he headed to Macey's.

Through her window because her elder brother was mourning his girlfriend who died during last night's alien invasion.

"How did you escape?" November asked Macey, referring to what happened earlier at school.

"Well, I was in class before their arrival, so I escaped through a window," Macey explained. "How many were caught?"

"Seventeen,"

"Woah, that's quite a lot."

November nodded.

"We've been neighbors for two years and this is my first time seeing the actual view of your room. It's cool." He confessed, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"Thanks," she nudged her glasses up. "Dad changes the interior design every six months because I get bored."

"Your dad does that?" November stopped in front of the alien drawings attached to her wall.

"Being Marion county's sheriff steals most of his time. So yeah, he ensures I have things to my satisfaction."

"He's a great dad." Pain stroke through November when he thought about his dad who was a therapist. He didn't even know where his dad was. The man hadn't contacted any of them since he left.

"Last night after the incident, I regained consciousness and walked home all by myself, feeling like a zombie, although I could still make out things. I saw your bike riding itself and then you landed on it from the sky. More like you were controlling it from where you flew." Macey whispered and November flinched from where he was standing.

Shit. He couldn't believe this was happening. He flew home last night?

"I knew the alien ships were gonna invade Indianapolis. I predicted it would take place but had no idea of the exact date. Though I expected it on the fourteenth of March and it came on the tenth, 9:43 pm prompt." November had no idea Macey Brightside was talkative until today. She was typing into her system the whole time she spoke.

"I knew you wouldn't agree to this, that's why I made the footage." She turned away to pick up her phone.

"You made a video?" November's eyes widen in their sockets.

"Ta-da!" She jumped in front of him and put her phone in his face.

The next few moments of his life were shocking to the core because he saw himself landing on the bike like a freak, according to his little sister.

November could not believe he flew all the way home in an unconscious state. He was controlled by his quirk. A quirk he suspected had left.

Macey propped her chin on her hand. "It was bizarre, seeing your bike riding itself. So I was filming it the whole time."

November rose to his feet, deciding he could not go with it anymore.

"Listen, Mace. You don't need to tell anyone about this. Please." He implored, holding her gaze. Although he didn't know if he still had his quirk because the device read he was negative of the alien virus. He couldn't even tell her this.

Macey smiled and took a step forward to him.

"You, November Calhoun, are a miracle. You were chosen by these aliens to manifest their powers to mankind."

"But I'm not the only kid with a quirk. There are roughly a hundred of them."

"Doesn't count, I can swear on my period that you're different."

"Ew, that wasn't necessary." November scowled, clearly disgusted.

"Do not underestimate them, they've watched you from EP."

"I know there's this scientific proof that aliens can observe humans on earth from an Exoplanet, but I'm not the only kid with the virus. You are too." November defended himself.

"Yeah, I can direct my limbs to any angle and direction of my choice." Macey immediately switched her head upside down and made her limbs appear broken. "I can feel it within my gut that there's more to you."

Slapping a palm to his face, November paced back and forth.

"You know, I envy you. With your flying quirk, you can space-travel to see aliens. I've always wanted to see an actual alien, but they decided it's not yet time to show up. Probably in the year 2103. So they let their ship descend the earth to transfer their virus over us," she raised her chin thoughtfully in the air, then placed her index finger on it. "Wait a minute, what if you're immortal? What if nothing can kill you? Have you tried jumping in front of a moving train?"

"How in the hell can you ask that? Do you want me to die?" November blew out a frustrated puff of breath.

"You have to exploit these powers, November. I noticed everyone's having one quirk to themselves, but you have more. Flying, telekinesis." Macey says, moving around November like a zombie in the Walking Dead.

"Doesn't mean I'll pick on a death wish." He grind his teeth.

"I know a whole lot about aliens, November. An alien virus tends to protect its host at all costs. You die, the virus dies too. And you know an alien brain could be wilder than our earthling brain can ever imagine, so these viruses wouldn't let any of us die." God, he could not imagine how someone could talk so fast like the Woodpecker.

"Now, what if there's a supervillain with similar quirks to yours?" Macey tapped her jaw.

"Just drop it, Mace. You're freaking me out." November was panting really hard. He was already hiding from the National team of securities and Scientists. It'd be exasperating if some supervillains pop up and try to attack him. What if they go after his mom and sister?

A lot was slamming through his mind.

"I mean it, there's got to be supervillains because these mad scientists work hand in hand with politicians, they're capturing kids with superpowers to use for selfish purposes. And there's got to be one superhero." Macey took her glasses off and then rubbed on her eyelids, before putting them back on.

"I don't understand what you mean. Just promise me you'd not let anyone know of this. My mom would freak out. She's suspicious and I don't want her to worry. She has a lot on her plate already."

Macey put her hand on his shoulder, still wearing the same smile.

"I promise.." She said quietly, and just as he was close to thanking her, her mouth parted. "On one condition," she added.

"No," I interjected after a slice of silence.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes, yes, yes. Or I'll let Principal Ambers know, and I'll take that video to Indiana Association press and you know what that means. You'll be a big fish to these professors who work hand in hand with the government. They'll lock you up in Ashton's lab and run several experiments on you. You'll be used as a weapon to fight a war." she tsksed.

"Shit. Shit. Shit!" November stomped on the floor and then jammed his fingers through his hair in exasperation. "You know how to ruin someone's mood, don't you?"

"Careful, you wouldn't want to break a super bone, now would you?"

Grinding his jaw, he shot her a death glare, hating the fact that she knew about his powers and threatened him over it. God, he felt like he was in a mess.

"What do you want?" He gave up, accepting defeat because that smug smirk on Macey's face showed that she was hell-bent on not giving up. Although she too had the infection-induced powers in her system.

"I want you to control my body with your powers."

"What?"

"Come on, let's see if you truly have telekinesis powers."

November was close to disapproving of this, but then he paused. She said on one condition, meaning if he went on with this, she'd keep her mouth shut for good.

November wanted to use this advantage to check if he still had his quirks or if they were completely gone. He breathed out, then thinned his lips, "fine,"

"Yay!" She fist pumped the air with glee, then took a deep breath and relaxed.

"Ready?"

"Ready." She smiled, looking somewhat pretty.

At first, November created a mental image of Macey moving in the air, then he narrowed his eyes in their sockets and it became apparent.

An audible gasp of relief erupted from his mouth when he realized he still had his quirk. Meaning the virus in his body withered away to protect him from getting caught.

Macey's mouth gaped in amazement and she disfigured her body into the air as she went up high.

"This is amazing! Woooah!" Macey exclaimed.

November could feel his face splitting into a huge grin.

With his eyes, he gently put her down and she rushed to grab a pocket knife from her study desk.

"What do you have it for?" November narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"For security reasons. My dad's the sheriff, considered to be the biggest enemy of criminals and drug Lords in this city. They might want to hurt his sixteen years old daughter." Macey wiggled the knife in his direction.

"You've got a twisted mind," He said with a scoff as he tucked his hands in his pockets.

"The world is a wicked place. You can't have a positive mindset at all times, mostly when you've seen several true crime documentaries a thousand times. When I go out for strolls, I always throw a swift shoulder glance at the person behind me. You wouldn't know if they wanted to stab my throat."

"Okay, enough. Enough." He held out his hands to stop her.

"I'll try to attack you with this knife, let's see if you can take it off and direct it back to me, mid-air," Macey suggested as she stretched out the knife like a sword.

"God, I thought you said one condition." He mentally facepalmed.

"C'mon dude. We're trying to explore your powers. Who knows if you could save the world someday."

"I'm not Superman." November was not done rolling his eyes in their sockets when Macey lunged at him with the knife.

His hand unconsciously stretched out and lowered itself down, making Macey stiff like a statue at the Museum.

The knife got plucked out of her hand and his eyes hurriedly swayed, turning the knife and aiming it back at her.

"Bravo! Bravo! Now release me, for I cannot breathe." Macey gritted out and he immediately obliged.

"I should go pick up Stacey from Mrs. Thompson because today's my day off at work." November made this known to Stacey who was drinking water straight from the bottle.

"You need to explore your powers, November. Stacey can wait a little while. Mrs. Thompson is a kind soul and your mom isn't returning until late evening." She pointed out the obvious, yet there was this unusual tugging feeling inside of him.

"You've seen more than enough, Mace."

"I know, I know. Just this last one, please." She begged, giving him big baby blues. He was sure she used this to trick people into doing her wish.

"Fine, what?" November asked after releasing a big puff of exhausted breath.

"Picture thieves storming into Walmart and firing bullets into the air. Everyone goes down on their knees and these thieves steal from them." Macey folded her arms over her chest and then went to stand in front of him.

November blinked, taken aback because he still didn't get where she was driving at.

"Then you, November Calhoun, show up, use your powers and render these thieves armless."

Suddenly, it hit him hard on what she was referring to.

"No," he interject with a frown.

"C'mon now, that's you saving the day. You'll hide behind a shelf so you won't get seen by anyone."

"What if I get shot?"

"You know that's not happening. You can control humans and objects, you can definitely control a bullet. This is where you apply the law of physics. You hold still the motion of these bullets with your powers and then direct them elsewhere. Just like what you did a few minutes ago, you pulled the knife out of my hand and pointed it back to me."

Moving away from this seemingly annoying female, he took a seat on her study chair. Because standing next to her and letting her blab was giving him a migraine. The universe fucked things up when it let Macey see him landing on his bike last night.

"You have everything cooked up in your head, don't you?" He asked in an uninterested tone. "You want to lure thieves into Walmart to threaten and endanger the lives of innocent people, just so you could see my powers on full display?"

"Do not misquote me, November Calhoun." Macey went to his side and leaned her elbows on the desk. "We want to know if your powers are capable of protecting people."

"And then what?"

"And then your life changes. You become a superhero. A much better one than Tom Holland in Spider-Man…"

Macey stopped talking when she saw November gritting his teeth in frustration.

"I apologize for talking too much, and you needn't be afraid. I'll hide in a corner and text my dad about the thieves. In case things don't go as we planned."

"Do not use the pronoun 'we' because it's you. So make use of 'I' instead since you're making things up to endanger the lives and families of innocent people. You're crazy!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs, startling Macey.

Silence rises in the atmosphere and he took this as a cue to leave because he was done. He has had enough of this power bullshit. The virus would stay inside of him until it withers a-fucking-way. He didn't care if he'd get bullied by Chase and the rest at school, he wanted his old life back.

"November Laurent Calhoun," Macey called out his full name in a dangerously low tone when he pulled her window up to get himself out.

"What?" He barked, not even bothering to spare her a glance.

"Do you want me to show that video to everyone?" She threatened and he tucked his tongue in his cheek, before turning to face her.

"I stopped taking your warning seriously when I realized I can vandalize that phone of yours to the fullest extent, plus I'm not the only one with a quirk. You are too." He concluded with a smirk.

If Macey was scared, she didn't show it. Instead, she mirrored his expression and then folded her arms across her chest. "Do it, Calhoun. You wouldn't know if I have several phones consisting of your 'I might be a freak' video." She did a passable job of mimicking his British accent. "And don't forget Mr. Brightside is the sheriff, he wouldn't let them take his precious daughter away."

God, what did he get himself? He wondered as he closed his eyes in dismay.

"This is the first day we're having a real conversation, but Macey Brightside, you'll be the death of me." November groaned, wishing he could be saved from this moment. It seemed she had it all figured out because she was a step ahead of him.

"Now, let's go lure some thieves into Walmart." The witch ordered in an authoritative tone.

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