A Quick Fag [open] [Warning: Sexual language]

Activating genes? No way, that was impossible. Alfred was sure no human had genes for superpowers. Although...there WERE many segments of DNA the exact functions of which were still unknown. It was even said that they had none, but no one really believed that.

Yay for Biology lessons. Mutations did exist though. X-men wasn't based on nothing after all. "It has happened before? When? Where? I've never heard of it? Did scientists examine the victims? If they did, they should have extracted DNA from them. The change MUST be in our DNA, nothing else makes sense really." Wow, he never talked science to strangers. His diarrhea of mouth wasn't a rare occurrence, but it was usually about sports or video games or superheroes.

He couldn't help the quiet snort escaping him. Angel wings? This guy? Okay, that was very hard to imagine. His next reaction, however, was jealousy; if Shortie really did have wings, then he had the one thing Alfred would give everything for. Stupid storm. Stupid, stupid, unfair storm.

Alfred forced a smile anyway, telling himself that HIS powers were much cooler. "Super strength! And I have no idea how it works, but I'm telepathic, apparently." He thought for a moment. "And my brain feels...I dunno, faster and smarter, I guess. I dunno if it's a superpower though." Maybe he just suddenly got a hell of a lot smarter. That wouldn't explain the random bursts of information though, so he might have gotten three superpowers after all. Damn, he was cool. That, or two of them were connected. He preferred the first option.

"I agree with the American," Ludwig said, glancing at Arthur. "If you've heard about when this has happened, or anyone who has experienced it, it would be best if we talked with them.

"My power isn't exactly floating, but from what I've noticed I can change the hardness of my body, or something similar. I can either turn my body very hard, but it gets very heavy, or it can turn very wind-like and light. I don't know much beyond that.

"And, if it relates, insomnia. My body is never tired even though I want to sleep. I was at the gym the other day, though, and I never noticed myself getting tired on the treadmill."

He tried to assimilate everything that he had been hearing the past few days. And the strange events these two were experiencing also.

"If it were just Kirkland and I, I would assume there was something wrong with our floor." He turned to the American. "But since... you... live on a higher level, I'm guessing at least everyone from our floor up has some strange ability. Maybe everyone in the building. Does this make sense?"

"I don't know many details, but it happened a hundred years ago. All the people were sectioned, I think. Do you know the antiques shop next door? I was talking to the proprietor, he was there last time. It turned him immortal." he explained. He hoped Yao wouldn't be annoyed that he'd made him some sort of guru on this. "It was hushed up, I think. It was too early to do experiments on them, at least properly. We didn't know much about the human body, right? So we wouldn't have known what to do with...mutants." That was the only way to describe what they were. Or at least, it was what Arthur was.

He listened to their descriptions of their powers. It sounded like everyone had gotten different ones. Perhaps all their powers were unique to them? He found he didn't want to know. He was worried that if he got too curious, he'd go mad, or he'd admit to someone their secret in order to find an explanation, and they had to keep silent. "I think it's everyone in the building, yes." He said. "Listen... we can't tell anyone from the outside. We can't show them our powers or anything or... who knows what will happen."

Do experiments on them.

That sounded suspiciously like some kind of anti-mutant movie. He heard that a scientist said that the best way to get to know something was to dissect it. That might have been in a horror movie, but Alfred didn't plan on getting dissected. "True, true. We should still look into it."

He wrinkled his nose. "We can't tell anyone? That sucks." How was he supposed to become a superhero now? Maybe he could just replace his glasses with contacts and he would unrecognizable like Superman. ...Psh, yeah, right. "We should at least ask some wacky doctor or something. I dunno how we became like this, but I wanna know if there are any other consequences." Like death. Early, untimely death. Just because that immortal guy didn't die, which was the point of immortality really, didn't mean that they couldn't have problems with this mutation. If it really was that.

Ludwig couldn't help but agree with the American--someone else was going to learn eventually. After all, hadn't Arthur himself leaked the information to the antique shop owner? Not only that, but Ludwig considered himself an honest person. He wouldn't go out and tell the world of this discovery, but he wouldn't begrudge the truth if someone had seen him float in the air like these two had.

"He does have a point, maybe talking to a doctor would be best. Or a biological scientist. Preferably a family member of someone who was affected, so that we won't have to worry about dissections like they did one hundred years ago.

"The English government seems fair either way, and I would hope they would protect the rights of their citizens." To which Ludwig was not included, but under the law he was to be given the same basic rights as an Englishman during his stay.

"But, I believe you both should agree: We need to meet the other tenants and get a hold on who has powers." Ludwig looked them both in the eyes, trying to stress what he thought was the most important part of all of this.

It didn't sit well with Arthur. He didn't want anyone to tell, he wouldn't want to tell anyone about it. In his mind now it was us and them, and it seemed that Yao had thought the same. But maybe Arthur was just secretive, he kept his cards close to his chest. "Maybe we should see if anyone who's been... changed knows about her." It would be a lot safe to have someone in the same boat who would be sympathetic than someone who might see them as just a subject for study.

Arthur didn't know about even asking his family. They would make him come home, appearences were very important to them. Having a son who was a freak, he didn't know how they would react. He wouldn't be able to use them any more, certianly. He'd probably have to leave university, they'd make him transfer. "I don't think there are any bad consequences. Surely Yao would have mentioned it, he could have studied the other people who had been taken away. "But how would they even know?" He didn't know much about science but he didn't know what they could possibly do.

"British government." He said causally. This whole Britsh/English thing really annoyed him sometimes, a pet peeve. "Well I would hope so. But it wouldn't stop us being sectioned for being insane."

Alfred couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine. "Telling a family member isn't...necessarily a good idea. My dad is a doctor, but..." He left the end open. He didn't even want to imagine what his dad would do if he found out about his strange powers. He would probably be the first in line to dissect his son. Or he would hand Alfred over to the CIA and get lots of money for it. Or he would just lock him up and never let him out of the house again. That would be a fate worse than being dissected alive.

He gave the previously floating man an incredulous look. "The government? Have you ever seen a sci-fi movie? They would be the first to dissect us or stick us in a loony bin. Or use us as supersoldiers or something." If there was one thing action and sci-fi movies taught Alfred, it was that the government could never be trusted. Going to the government for help was a big no-no.

Grasping the railing, Alfred pulled himself up and sat down on the thin metal, swinging his legs slightly. "We could try talking to them, I guess. But if they don't have the same powers, won't they think we're wacky or something?" He had no idea how Brits would react to being asked if they had superpowers. He was sure his fellow Americans would think of it as a joke and even play along. But Brits were supposed to be more serious, right?

Ludwig barely caught Arthur's remark about the British-English mix up, but focused instead on the American. From what Ludwig could tell, he and his father didn't get along well. Perhaps that line of thought was shut down, but there had to be someone with a strong connection to some sort of doctor. There were millions of them, after all. And though Arthur may be pessimistic, Lidwig still believed the doctor option was the best shot. Maybe he could talk to Arthur later about the prospect. Both of them seemed wary about telling others, and he didn't quite see why. If they were telling the truth about their powers then there was no reason to treat them cruelly.

But Ludwig was almost certain the American might need to check into an insane asylum. No one truly believed in science fiction movies or books... Did they? He decided not to broach the question.

"I do have someone I'm close with in the apartments." It was his brother, whom he wasn't quite close with anymore, but should nevertheless help him. "I need to talk with him anyway, and I'll bring the subject up."

So the American's father was a doctor? What a pointless fact that he'd always remember. Some people may think he was being guarded and pessimisstic, but he had his reasons. He was sure none of them had ever had a nightmare about having their wings cut off. It certianly didn't make him want to be open. Well, as a last resort, perhaps, they could go to his father, though Arthur still thought they shouldn't go to anyone. In his mind, nobody could explain this, especially not without dissecting them. He shuddered, thinking about science class. This was going to turn him in to an animal rights fanatic, wasn't it? He hoped not, that would be so cliche.

He shook his head, the American was a little too impressionable. But he couldn't help but think that maybe he was right. He could just imagine being blackmailed in to becoming a soldier... "Alright, you talk to your brother. I'll see what more information I can get out of Mr Wang. If he knows anything about side effects. How does that sound to you?"

Alfred was suddenly hit with an idea. "Hey, I have a brother in here! I could ask him! He wouldn't think I'm crazy!" Mattie was probably more than used to his weirdness anyway. He wouldn't find Alfred telling him he was super strong and telepathic and maybe-sorta a genius odd. Okay, maybe the last part; everyone always seemed to think he was stupid for some reason.

He nodded his head. "Sounds good, Eyebrows." If they couldn't find a doctor, then they had to gather information themselves. He gave Shorty and the other man a once-over, humming in thought. "Do either of you guys go to college here? We could totally ask to use some of their equipment and find out stuff ourselves!" He gave them an excited grin. It would be so cool, like in all those documentaries on National Geographic Channel!

"I will." Ludwig nodded at Kirkland, and he turned to leave when the American started talking again. He craned his head back.

"So we all have a plan," he said, a little more confident than before. "I'm a temporary student at the college, to answer your question, but even if I could get the equipment, I would rather not have anyone touching me unless they have a medical degree, no offense. We might end up making things worse than they already are."

Ludwig leaned on the wall again, looking the other two over. "Is there anything else I need to do or need to know, or can we end this little meeting before someone comes into the stairwell?"

Arthur rubbed his face, tired. "No, I don't believe there is anything else." He said, "I'm going back inside, I've smoked far too much today already and it's not even lunch time." And he'd needed to change; he'd spent this whole conversation, oddly and embarassingly enough, in nothing than more than a shirt and pair of boxers. Apparently he should dress up more before going for a fag in the stairwell. "You know where to find me." He pulled the fire door open to return to his appartment.

He opened his mouth to tell Ludwig that he didn't want to touch him or do anything to him, simply look at a cell of theirs underneath a microscope and hope to find something very obviously out of place, but he held it in. Shorty was already leaving and it was obvious that Floaty wanted to do the same.

Alfred sighed. Some comrades he had in this. He really should just ask Mattie; at least he would be more interesting to talk to. "Yeah, I'll see you around then, I guess." At least Floaty. He didn't exactly plan on seeing Shorty anytime soon, even if he would have loved to see someone with wings. The whole conversation about gay orgies was so not worth it.