10034/Aliens, Superheroes, and Lightning

Aliens, Superheroes, and Lightning
Date of Scene:	14 November 2019
Location:	NYU Kimmel Center - Manhattan
Synopsis:	Wherein Kian and Volt discuss aliens, idioms, and what defines a superhero, as well as the faint hopes that Volt may find a place with the Titans.
Cast of Characters:	Volt, Kian t'Kaeh

---

Volt has posed:
Night has fallen over New York City, and with it, the air chills a little further. December is rapidly approaching, and Thanksgiving before even that - people have a lot of reasons to be focused on anything other than being outside on an athletics field at this hour. For Drake Riley - or more recently better known simply as Volt - that isn't the case so much. Training, honing his ability, has always been paramount since he first discovered his lethal powers. And though the coast may have changed, the preferred venue hasn't. Football fields, or athletic fields in general, are huge. Expansive. And often easy enough to go unnoticed in. Sure, it takes a little reconnaisance to figure out the groundskeeper and practice schedules, but it's worth it.

Here, he can cut loose.

Brief flashes of brilliant blue light up the sky above the field. Arcs of neon lightning appear, sometimes fracturing off towards the tips. Dry lightning is an interesting enough sight, but more importantly, they're racing in the wrong direction; from the ground and upwards.

In the center of the poorly-lit field, Volt redirects his aim to a horizontal vector. His hands lash out, as if swiping, discharging a quick, narrow arc of electricity at least thirty feet, and in rapid succession as he switches from hand to hand. There is no target. This is speed and control training.

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    The tri-city area is endlessly fascinating, as far as the birdman is concerned. Buildings like these are essentially unknown on his world, certainly packed as closely together as Earth people build them.  The cool air doesn't bother him, although it might if he weren't distracted, deep in thought.  Really, he's distracted enough to walk into something, except that he's flying and there are no obstacles around.
    And then... his distraction gets distracted.  The flash and the crackle get his attention, especially since there's no storm in the area.  It felt like lighting, but it can't be.
    Kían spirals down lower towards the open space from whence the unexpected electricity flows, watching with fascination.  Another powered individual... how curious.  He perches atop a lamp post nearby, watching intently, not otherwise obtruding himself -- well, other than the faint blue glow that he fails to damp down.

Volt has posed:
Electricity slashes through the air in a quick torrent, but the bolts become shorter and shorter, before Volt simply stops. He leans forward, propping his hands over his knees to take a quick breath. It may not seem it, but that takes a very fine level of attentiveness and body awareness - the sort humans are incapable of understanding. It's like extending another appendage, like a martial art in and of itself, and trying not to sprain a muscle or trip himself up. It's bizarre, without a doubt. But he's had a couple years to get ahold of it.

He just needs to continue refining it. That's how one gets stronger. Self-control. Finding new limits.

There's a visible exhale before Volt collects himself once more. Both hands lift, but only one discharges a narrow bolt of ionic energy onto a nearby pole. But this stream is steady, ongoing, surging electricity in a continual flow. His gaze fixes on the other hand, angling it a little, before a second stream of electricity jumps from that palm to the first. Carefully, he widens his hands to separate the main beam from both palms, letting them feed into a single, perhaps more condesnsed and powerful bolt-

When an errant glance catches sight of something glowing up above!

The conduits shut off, and his left hand lifts at the ready, angling towards his spectator. It's hard to make out anything distinct beyond a vague blob of color against the night sky. Harder still, given he's wearing sunglasses. But he's ready to sling bolts at a moment's notice, it seems!

"Heeey~," he calls in a manner much more chummy than his posture might suggest. "Pretty goth, but I didn't know this university was into gargoyles!" A beat follows the joke before he calls, "What's up?"

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "Gargoyle?"  The birdman tilts his head inquisitively.  "I don't know what those are."  Kían drops lightly to the pavement, still glowing slightly, a faint sky blue outlining him.
    He holds his hands about half a meter apart.  Without warning, thick purple tentacles of electricity arc and snarl between them.  "Do you have the same /rhy'thar/ as me?"

Volt has posed:
Volt isn't putting forward any displays of power. To him, it's the equivalent of cocking a gun - just faster. But it feels really unnecessary. After all, this person has already seen some of what he can do. He knows what's up, he's sure.

The person who drops down before him, however, gets a blink. His arm remains extended at the ready, but his head tilts a faint bit to the side. First, the individual himself is winged and, at a glance, might be missing some fingers. Second, he seems to have hentai tentacle powers. He really doesn't know what else to call it just yet. But apparently the birdman does.

"Uh." Volt stares a moment longer. "Prrrooobably not. If that's whatever, ah..," he pauses to bob a finger forward indicatively, "..that is."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "Oh."  The monosyllable can't help but carry a certain amount of disappointment.  "I thought you might have the same powers I do.  I saw and heard and felt the electricity.  The electric arc between his hands dies away, and only then does Kían notice the blue glow limning him.  It disappears, and there's a sheepish expression on his face, like he didn't mean to let that be seen.
    And then he shakes his head clear, and bows, spreading his wings slightly.  "My manners seem to have left me.  I'm Kían," he says by way of introduction.

Volt has posed:
"It's all good...," says Volt cautiously. He still isn't sure about him. Hard to really know who to trust without a support network, and he's far from Bushwick. But he's still not making any further motions of aggression. It's all defense at the moment.

"Oh, I'm pretty electrifying. Lot've things I can do with it. But what's your deal? It's all purple. And you have wings." And fewer fingers maybe, it's hard to see clearly. "Mutant?"

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "I... don't know.  The researchers back home were never able to make that determination," Kían says with a shrug, and the light rustling of feathers.  He spreads and re-folds his wings.  "The wings are normal, of course," he adds absently.  "It's the electricity and other things that we didn't get figured out.  And still haven't.  That's why I was hoping you might have the same abilities as mine.  If you knew where yours came from, it might be a clue where mine came from.  Unless you're not from this planet either."
    That was a pretty causal way to admit to being an alien; he said it in the same way one might admit to being from Ohio.

Volt has posed:
"Well, I'm like a human, but not," Volt muses, only to promptly derail when what Kian said catches up to him. "Wait, are you an alien? Like an actual alien? From space?"

His arm drops, and the teen approaches to inspect him thoroughly. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the sources of our powers are probably not the same. I have a gene that makes me different. You're..." He motions vaguely. "...an alien."

He shakes his head again, bewildered.

"Forget everything /I/ was about to say, you've gotta tell me about space. Or the other planet. Hell, /anything/! Err- I'm Volt, by the way. That's, uh, what people know me as these days. Long story."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "I, uh," Kían begins, and then falters.  "I don't know what there is to tell.  I mean, my world is so normal compared to this one... and I don't really know anything about space other than that it's pretty empty.  I didn't get to do much travelling, and the last time I did, that's how I ended up here."

Volt has posed:
"Crash-landed?," guesses an excited and smiling Volt. He tends to wear his emotions on his sleeve. "Was it around Roswell? Or- wait, did you meet other aliens? And you know, the way you think about this world? With it being weird? That's the way I'd think about /your/ world. So anything you wanna tell me, I'm /so/ tuned in."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían shakes his head once.  "I wish it had been a crash landing.  Then I would have a ship to work with and in theory anyway fix, so I could go home.  Unfortunately, I wasn't so lucky.  The best guess I have is that something about my powers doesn't get along with a tachyon drive field.  And I can't really test that idea without one of our starships to test it in."  'Tachyon drive' and 'starship' roll off his tongue as easily as 'jet engine' and 'airplane' would to an average Terran.  "As far as other aliens go, I don't know.  We've had no first contacts; the only other aliens I've met have been here on Earth."
    That gives him pause, and he reflects a moment.  "Maybe there's something about this world that draws outworlders to it?  I don't know.  But I met none at home and at least two or three here?  Odd."

Volt has posed:
"Aliens have been chilling out on our marble since the sixties. Or longer. Since before people dared to Naruto-run at Area 51." Then Volt realizes none of that probably made a lick of sense. "Wait, how long have /you/ been here? What've you been doing since getting here? Been laying low from the government, or what?"

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "Lie... low?" Kían repeats.  It's not the sort of idiom he'd use, so it takes him a moment.  There's a suddenly-enlightened "Oh!  I, no, I kept out of sight and to myself for a while, but that was a mistake.  I have been here a couple years... a couple years Earth time, I don't know how that relates to Akiár time.  I've lately been--" and here he verbally skids to a halt, Colette's warnings about keeping a low profile coming to mind.  "Before I say more, you're not one of those supervillains I've heard about?"
    It sounds like an honest question, posed with the same casual innocence as his admission of being an alien, like he was asking whether one was a vegetarian before making dinner plans.

Volt has posed:
Volt watches with what most might imagine is an expectant look. It's probably hard to tell, given the extremes he's taken to safeguard against too many telltale facial features being seen. But he nods along with Kian's explanation as it comes forth. The abrupt halt, however, earns a curious cant of his head.

Hands meekly slip into the central pouch of his hoodie.

"Dude, no. I'm Volt. The superhero. Kind of. As much as a guy like me can be."

A weak smile follows. Anything to avoid focusing on his awful life situation.

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían nods.  "Okay," he says, clearly satisfied with Volt's word on the matter.  "I've lately been with the Titans.  Training how to be useful.  I think I want... I want to help with searches and rescues.  I had some training at home with Imperial Emergency Services, but of course everything is different here."

Volt has posed:
"I bet. Vehicles, people, laws of physics...," lists Volt. But that's really not the thing that catches his attention. He can circle back to it in a minute. "You said you're with the Titans? That's the, uh.. superteam, or whatever, right? Got that huge tower?"

He starts to grin.

"Does that make you a superhero, too?"

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "I don't know.  I don't feel like one," Kían says slowly, as though really thinking about it for the first time.  "It doesn't take a superhero to help someone who needs it, does it?"

Volt has posed:
"No. Anyone can be a hero," Volt replies. "It takes a superhero to do things regular people can't. To not only do the thing, but to be a symbol. To inspire people who don't have special powers or abilities to push themselves harder, or to have hope when everything seems its worst. Superheroes don't just save lives. They, uh... they save hearts."

Volt pauses to reach a hand into his hood, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"That's what I think, anyway."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    The deeper into Volt's explanation of what a hero is, the wider the birdman's eyes get.  "I... still do not know if I am a superhero or not.  I don't care about being an inspiration.  I just want to be a help.  I can't decide if someone else is going to be inspired by anything I do -- that's on them, not on me.  And I'm entirely unsure about what's inspiring about doing what one simply should...."

Volt has posed:
Volt cringes a little at the response, but quickly shrugs to not add any pressure to Captain Birdmen, Space Gargoyle. "It's a choice," he replies. "A personal one. If you don't care about that, it's cool. Nothing to sweat. But, ah- doing the right thing doesn't always come natural to humans. Even ones with powers. Sometimes /especially/ ones with powers. So just make sure you're not putting yourself down without giving a fair shake."

Oh, he didn't know what 'lay low' meant. Hang on.

"I mean, without being fair to yourself."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "Earth people do a *lot* of weird things."  It just slips out, and Kían sems momentarily unaware what he's just said -- and then he gasps, and holds up his hands.  "I mean... I'm sorry, that was probably a really rude thing to say.  Unless you agree Earth people do weird things.  I suppose I do things Earth people consider weird."

Volt has posed:
Volt stares at Kian, nonplussed as he gasps and seems to recoil at his own words. His right hand slips free of his hoodie pouch to bob indifferently. "It's cool, blood, humans are weird. You should visit San Francisco sometime." Beat. "Or- or don't. Just, don't."

His hand sets back into the hoodie pouch.

"Anyway, I'm sure you do weird things. You're an alien. You should do weird things. And I'm weird, myself. Humans don't shoot lightning. But that's just what makes me, me." He takes in a steep breath, and lets it out in a visible whoosh of a cleansing sigh. "Sorry if I got preachy about the hero thing."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "Preachy?  No, I didn't think so," Kían says with a shrug.  "I just can't get into my head the idea that someone might be in a position to be helpful, and wouldn't.  *That* is alien to me, more than the winglessness and the twelve... no, sorry, ten fingers.  It's... it's just what you have to *do*."

Volt has posed:
Volt frees his hands from the pouch and wiggles all ten spooky digits at Kian. They then tuck back into the pocket. Because, let's be honest, it's cold out and he's not wearing gloves.

"That's what being human is about. Making choices, living with'em, trying to do what's right. Or I mean, morality pending. Know what I'm saying?"

The grin he wears takes a hit when realization dawns on him. "Nevermind. Point is, people are all really, really different. And superheroes just... try to show everyone the best possible versions of themselves they could be. Brave, smart. strong, and always doing what's right. Or I guess, uh... trying to." His head ducks a little.

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían's expression brightens considerably at Volt's last two words -- /now/ it makes sense.  "Yes, I understand what you mean now.  Making the effort.  I mean, that's all anyone can do is try.  I had thought you meant a hero had to always succeed at that.  That would mean I would never be one because I know I'm not perfect."

Volt has posed:
Volt's face lights up when he sees Kian's do the same. Something clicked! That's something to be happy about! Especially where this topic is concerned! Even though what he originally meant - the underlying current - is that he himself is falling behind there. There's only so much a penniless vagabond can do before having to steal to live. It's a hypocrisy he desperately wishes he could shed.

"Exactly!," nods the capped-hooded-sunglass'd teen. "So you might be more of a superhero than you thought, yeah? Makes you being with that Titan bunch make a little more sense!"

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "I sort of fell into the Titans sideways," Kían says.  "I knew some of the members from before, and more or less followed them, once I had decided I needed to live in this world rather than retreat from it.  They're good people," he remarks, thinks about Robin, and adds, "For the most part.  The only really difficult part was convincing some of them that regardless of my powers, I could not, *would* not be weaponized."

Volt has posed:
Volt's cheery smile dims to a quieter version. "Mn," he nods. "I'm sure they are. Must be nice, though." His tone is wistful, smile fading just a little further. His head turns briefly before returning to Kian. Those sunglasses are hiding a lot of what's going on back there! "Anyway, that's cool. Not all superheroes are fighters."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían spreads and re-folds his wings.  It seems a reflex, like shifting one's weight when standing a while.  "And what about you, Fol't?" he asks, stumbling over the name.  "Is there a group you work with?  And where did your powers come from?"

Volt has posed:
"Ah- me? I was just born different. And it's volt. Like with electricity. Truth in advertising," he explains.

The question on whether or not he belongs with a group has him fidgeting a toe against the grass. "I thought there might've been. Once. A year ago. But, uh.. no." His shoulders lift and flop in a single, loose shrug that's entirely more casual than he feels. "I'm just... on my own, y'know? Life's chewtoy. Local homeless superhero." He puts on a sheepish smile. "Real inspiring, right?"

The smile falters, and the joking lilt in his voice fades. "It'd be nice if things were different. I came out here to the opposite end of the country to find people I could belong to. But, as you can tell," he says as he spreads his arms, "the search goes on."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "Have you tried Titans Tower yet?" Kían asks.  "I can't say I know their rules for membership, or how much weight my introduction carries since I'm still new to the team... but it can't hurt to ask, right?"  He chuckles softly, and holds up his hand.  It's outlined in sparks of electricity, like a Tesla coil.  "And, we can practice our powers together."

Volt has posed:
"Wha? Of course not! I'm not, like, invited or anything like that, they're legit, I'm just some dink who- you think I should just /go/ there? Won't they shoot me with something? I-," Volt is stumbling over his words. Those shaded eyes are almost, /almost/ wide enough to overtaken the sunglasses themselves. "I- I mean, yeah! Definitely! Can't hurt to ask! You'd really introduce me? For reals?"

He's a bit starstruck at the idea, and mental processes are firing off just a bit to fast to latch onto any one in particular. But he does manage to wrangle it in enough to free his right hand and raise it, tendrils of brilliant blue electricity twining along his hand and arcing between his fingers. "And we totally could! Wait, are you shockproof? That's important to know!"

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "That's more or less what I did -- just went there," Kían says.  "I happened to run into Kó... uh, into Starfire and she suggested I go.  I didn't even know Stardust and Vorpal were on the team until after I arrived.  I had known them from before.  I don't think you would even need my introduction, once you show what you can do.  And I think my recommendation would probably hurt you with Robin anyway.  He doesn't like me, and I can't say I like him.
    "And yes, I'm quite safe against electricity.  Electromagnetic effects are the ones I've worked most with anyway.  They're pretty much everywhere."  He looks around, as if checking to see if anyone's around to overhear, and then smiling broadly, he asks conspiratorially, "Have you ever made yourself get hit by lightning?"

Volt has posed:
Volt drawls a slow, "Iiii caaan't saaay that I haaave...," with raised eyebrows. He's been struck by electricity before, though. He's aware of it as it's happening, but it's harmless. Being struck by full-on lightning seems a bit intimidating. And, frankly, this bird-person here is the first other electrically-charged individual he's run into.

"I don't think I could just walk up to'em. I'm not an alien or anything, I'm just a, a guy who's down on his luck, y'know?," he diverts. "Yeah, it'd be fan/tastic/ to become the real deal, and be with other, actual superheroes, but I'm kind've a nobody! I was mentioned on that April O'Neil girl's podcast, but that's all the clout I've got. They're bound to get people begging for their time constantly."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "I did it once," the birdman says, "just to see what would happen.  I already knew I wouldn't hurt by electricity.  What I forgot was the thunder... do you know how loud it is when you're where a thunderclap starts?
    "And I don't know about your luck, but I think just being an electrokinetic should at least get you in the door to talk to someone," Kían says flatly.  "It's not like you're walking in and your only special ability is you can juggle five balls."

Volt has posed:
"Hey. You make some decent money doing that on Coney Island," asserts Volt.

And he's exhaling another sigh. Talk about pressure! "It just seems.. I don't know.. arrogant? Like I'm putting myself up there on par with people who've been doing this way longer, or dealt with way worse.." His hands stuff into that central pouch again. "..I'm getting all up in my head."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "All up in your head?" Kían asks.  "Well, where else but in your own head would you be?  And don't worry about how much experience you have. How long do you think *I've* been doing this, when I've only been on this world two years and have had to learn the language and a whole new set of social rules first?

Volt has posed:
"No, I mean I'm trippin'!," Volt tries to explain. He immediately realizes that probably makes even less sense. He's obviously not tripping, he's upright. "Psyching myself out!" Does that one make sense? "...Stressing?"

He frees a hand to rub against his forehead, exasperated.

"Anyway, man, I dunno. I-I could, I guess, just show up. Unannounced. Like a weirdo." He's already cringing. One does not simply breeze into a superhero hideout and request a room! Right? This feels like such a bad idea. But at the same time, the idea of legitimacy, of not being essentially nothing anymore, it's so appealing.

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían shakes his head.  "'Weird' is an extremely relative term.  When you go, ask to see Stardust. She's the one who seems to have the most responsibility for new members.  Although her training style is, uhm, enthusiastic.  But you're an Earther, it'll probably make more sense to you."

Volt has posed:
Volt nods stiffly, making mental note. Stardust. Of course that'd be a girl's name. It's feminine. Makes him think of Xanadu for some reason, though. He will /not/ mention that. Partially because first impressions are important, and partially because there's no way poor Kian has any idea what that is.

Good lord, what a tangent.

Volt gives a weak, but appreciative smile. "Can I at least say you told me to check it out?," he asks.

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "Yes, certainly," Kían replies.  "Although if it's Robin, be prepared for a chilly response.  Actually, with him you should probably be prepared for a chilly response regardless, now that I think about it.  With any luck you'll run into Stardust first.  She seems to have been tasked with us newcomers anyway."

Volt has posed:
"Are you still considered a newcomer?," asks Volt with a curious tilt of his head. "And, uh, I'm not wrong, am I? These /are/ superheroes we're talking about?" The emphasis on Robin's chilliness has him second-guessing. He wouldn't expect purveyors of justice et al to be chilly. Then again, it's not like he has much experience to draw from there.

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían thinks a moment before responding.  "Well, *I* consider myself one.  I haven't been there that long, and I have a lot of training to do, and my training regimen is kind of made up as we go along because they haven't really had to train a non-combatant before.  And I still have so much to learn about Earth, too.  I'm not a good one to judge by."
    And then he shrugs.  "Nor am I really a good judge of who is and isn't really a superhero.  We don't have them on my world.  We don't need them there."

Volt has posed:
Volt is taking that offhandedly to mean Kian's world is fairly utopian. Well, for bird people. He would probably have some troubles there. Regardless!

"Alright. I'll stop grilling you," he offers with an apologetic smile. "Guess I'll roll the dice and see what happens. Worse case scenario, they gimme the boot, right?" In which case, he's no worse off than he is now - save for just adding another lump of rejection. Okay, that would suck tremendously. But on the other hand, it could work out. And that would be beyond huge. It's a gamble!