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Merc's Metamorphs

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Chapter 18: Fledgeling

Rook's first power was, according to Bruiser, 'Technokenesis', or the ability to control technology through thought alone. The four of them wiled away the early hours of the morning putting the ability to the test, learning what they could about it in the scant hour and a half they had left until they had to revert to Human form. During that time, the Raven managed to flip through several channels on the smart TV including some streaming services for which the guys did NOT have subscriptions. He also managed to get into Chance's computer previously thought to be hack-proof; it took Rook all of three seconds.

There were obvious limitations to the power too, and those were pieced together as they explored just what he was capable of doing. Complex technology or, more specifically DIGITAL technology was the Raven's bread-and-butter, but when it came down to simple mechanisms like a door knob, a kitchen drawer, or even an analogue alarm clock his ability failed to manifest in even the slightest way. Apparently any smart device, digital object, or computer-controlled system was his to do with as he pleased, but, beyond that, his power was refused.

As the early morning slowly gave way to pre-dawn, Merc counted down their last minutes in Metamorph form and then, as a group, they resumed their Human forms. Clothing was donned, jokes were made and then, on a flippant disregard for how things usually worked with Metamorphs, Chance convinced Christopher to try and see if his technokenesis could work when he was a Human. Christopher glanced toward the television, and then almost all of the group jumped in surprise when it turned on.

Since Chance was the only one of their number who seemed affected by the unexpected result it didn't take long for them to find out that he had the remote control behind his back. He got three pillows to the face, chest, and shoulder for his prank. Considering the four of them had not had a lot of sleep the prior night, all four went to bed, flopped out on the living room floor in a big pile of twenty-something, throw pillows, and couch cushions. Frank enjoyed it more than he thought he would.

The four hung around that afternoon, grabbing a late lunch while talking more about what they'd discovered about Rook's ability. Although they spent some time taking random guesses about what the Raven's undiscovered power might be, the discussion always ended up circling back around to the technokenesis; thoughts about limitations or considerations about how far it could be stretched ended up with little more than theories or yet-to-be-tested hypotheses. By the time dinner was up for consideration the four of them had spent the whole day in heated discussion about the 'what if's of the new teammate's ability.

Frank found himself liking the way that Chance and Juan had come around. In addition to Christopher's winning personality, he was also a damn sexy Raven with a really cool power. A sudden thought struck him. "Hey... I have a great test we can try!"

Three sets of eyes went to him and Christopher's quickly thereafter migrated to his cell phone. "Nightfall is at 6:14 tonight so we have another hour and three minutes to go. What do you propose?"

Frank pointed upward at the ceiling. "Well... we already figured out that you can't do a lot with most lights, but that's because they're incandescent... nothing super-technology about them."

Chance snorted, almost doing justice to it in Human form, but not quite equivalent to what he could accomplish as a pit bull. "And by 'super-technology' you mean 'digital', right?"

Ignoring the comment, Frank continued. "There's a strip of digital LED lights up on the top roof... they got put up for a community event a semester back and nobody ever took them down. They should still be plugged in and everything but the timer controlling them was lost or disabled or something."

Juan, having made his way to the kitchen, was pulling a set of pans out from the drawer beside the stove. He called over his shoulder. "If Christopher isn't opposed I have nothing against another test, but it may be a little rude to continue to make him perform for science like some kind of lab rat."

Chance again interjected. "Lab bird?"

The four continued chatting while Juan prepared a simple meal. They ate with gusto, quickly finishing up dinner as the sky grew darker and darker outside. When the alarm Christopher had set on his phone went off he asked another question. "So... will going up to the roof be a good idea? We may be seen."

Frank waved away the concern. "Nah... not a lot of people have a reason to go up onto the roof... especially not this time of year. We can head up there while we're Human and then go through the change. So long as we don't do anything crazy like hang off the edge nobody'll notice us... especially if the sky is all dark."

Juan, ever the cautious one, posed a different concern. "How bright are those lights? If Rook CAN get them working then won't we be visible against a dark backdrop? People tend to look when things light up and we'll be there for the entire campus to see-- or, at least everyone on the south lawn... but that's bad enough."

Chance grunted. "Good point."

Frank waved away the concern. "Nah... the lights are hanging down a few feet below the eaves. Sure, they might light up, but we're high enough that nobody below will be able to see us... especially if we're front-lit."

It was a constant argument the team had gone over multiple times. Bruiser didn't like to operate at night in lit areas, but Frank always had to remind him that being front-lit was a lot better than being back-lit. Even though Demon eventually came around to his line of thinking after discovering how hard it was to attack someone behind a spotlight, the Orca still had his doubts.

Christopher, however, was on Frank's side. "Oh... I know what lights you're talking about now. They're barely as bright as Christmas lights. We'll be fine up on the roof."

Chance smirked. "You know... if Juan's worried about going up onto the roof, maybe Rook can try and turn em on from right here in our dorm room."

Christopher shook his head. "No... we've already established that I have to see whatever piece of technology I am trying to affect, and if I were leaning out of the window to look up I would be much more easily seen from below."

Juan nodded. "Right... because of the lighting."

Frank smirked. "And he'd be back-lit."

His Hispanic boyfriend responded with a middle finger at that, but smiled all the same. Decision apparently made, Chance cracked his knuckles. "Well... okay then. Up and onto the roof it is. Maybe just give the hallway a few minutes to die down?"

Cy nodded. "That would be wise. Most everyone who plans on going out is usually gone by seven. We can head up to the roof without anyone asking questions. Do we have any bags we--?"

Frank interrupted the question by holding up two backpacks and two gym bags. "Got our outfits in here, but if we're not doing any powered hero work we can probably just hang out up on the roof naked... still, nothing wrong with using these to store our clothes while we're at it... it'd suck if it started raining and we had everything folded neatly out in the open."

Juan shook his head. "Forecast says all clear tonight, low 60s. No rain."

Chance tossed a pillow in his face. "Dude. Always bring the bags! Remember that one time in Mobile?"

Christopher raised an eyebrow. "As in, Alabama?"

Frank nodded. "We promised after THAT one that we'd never leave our clothing uncovered... and that includes even a short trip."

Juan shrugged. "Fine. Use my own rule against me."

Chance grinned. "And the funny part is, Bruiser is an ORCA, so being wet shouldn't be a problem!"

Frank had to keep himself from giggling, but that meant he didn't have the willpower left not to interject his own thoughts. "Well it's not a problem when he's in his Metamorph form, but he still get swamp-ass just like the rest of us when he turn back if his clothes are soaked. So, yeah: we bag em."

By the time they finished their joking around and seriously prepared for the short trip up onto the roof it was just after seven. Just as Cy had suggested, the hallways were empty. Granted, there wouldn't have been a problem if people had been out and about, but not encountering anyone who might ask questions did make the going easier and decreased any possibility of problems. They made it onto the roof without event and, in unison, all four of them started stripping down.

Once they were all naked, Frank looked to everyone in turn. "Thumbs up when you're ready."

Chance glanced over at Christopher. "Man... you have a really nice cock."

Frank couldn't resist. "Dude... that's gay."

All of them shared a laugh and they all had their thumbs up; Frank enjoyed starting a shift while laughing if for no other reason than the spasms transitioned from one to the other with less of the discomfort normally associated with his muscles and bones rearranging. All around him he heard the sounds of his boyfriends going through their changes, but none so loud as the echoing of his own bones popping out of their joints and resetting themselves into their new form once they had resized and reshaped.

Merc grit his teeth as his fangs came in; some times he could barely feel them but other times, such as that night, it felt like his mouth was being bitten in reverse. It was fine, of course, since it helped distract from the elongation of his tailbone into a proper tail. As usual, the shift was over in a few breathes and he shook the cobwebs out from his head as his senses quickly adjusted to his new form.

Rook was right beside him, staring down at one of his wings and the talon at the end. "I... have no idea how the three of you could be so used to this."

Demon gave him a hearty slap on the back. " Here's a hit: we don't."

Bruiser stepped up beside the Raven. "What he means to say is that it isn't something that ever becomes 'normal'... it just becomes less abnormal."

The Pit bull grinned, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. "Yeah... kinda like beating off. REALLY fucking weird when you first try it out, but, soon enough, you know what to expect and even start looking forwar-- OW!"

The elbow from Bruiser concluded that discussion and the Orca focused everyone back on the topic at hand. "Alright... so... about those lights..."

As one, the group moved to the edge of the roof and peered over the lip. Rook was barely there for a moment before the entire string lit up. He offered a mellow acknowledgement of success. "Well... that answers that."

Merc found himself grinning. "You know, I heard that Legendary HQ switched over to an automated lighting system... if we ever wanted to fuck with General Gloryhole and Legendary Unlimited we could always--"

It was Merc's turn to be the target of Bruiser's elbow. The Orca, as usual, kept them on track. "Okay... so we know that Rook can--"

The sound of the door leading to the stairwell slamming caught everyone's attention and caused them all to immediately shut up. Merc's mind went immediately into the flight side of fight-or-flight and he glanced around to gather everyone up. Rook, however, wasn't within easy reach... because he was ten feet up in the air! In a flurry of adrenaline and feathers, the Raven had taken wing and was managing to fly! With the sound of footsteps circling from the far side of the stairwell Merc realized he didn't have time to dwell on it and he quickly activated two of his preferred traveling powers: Demon and Bruiser shrank down, and the Kangacobra bounded up and onto the higher level of the dorm's two-tiered roof.

A moment later a thoroughly disheveled-looking Rook landed almost silently beside Merc. Bruiser's mental connection allowed them to communicate without a word. Roost's next 'words' came out at a near shout. "DID YOU SEE THAT? I FLEW!!!"

Demon's response was uninspired. "Well, you ARE a bird... and not so loud. Don't 'yell' when you're doing the mind speak thing."

Bruiser came to Rook's defense. "Actually, he probably shouldn't be able to fly. The aerodynamics are all wrong, and most other avian Metamorphs don't have the wingspan or the hollow bones required to handle the lift required for their mass."

Beside them, Rook flapped his wings just once and he lifted into the air. He made a point of explaining the situation. "I am far lighter than I should be. I can't explain it..."

Merc continued to keep his mind open as his group discussed the strange situation silently within their heads but he also kept a close eye on the students camped out on the roof beneath them. By his estimate the Metamorphs still had well over an hour that they could stay in their forms without a problem but it wasn't out of the question that the visitors hanging out could well exceed that timeline... and likely would, considering that they sounded drunk. Eventually the Kangacobra interrupted the ongoing discussion of his team mates. "We may have to find another way down if they're up here too long."

Demon's response didn't seem related to his statement. "Dude! Check out the brick!"

Caught by surprise at the non-sequitor, Merc turned to see Rook gently tossing a broken piece of masonry up into the air, only to have it slowly descend down to land on the tip of a single upraised talon. Although the bird's expressions were difficult to read, the Kangacobra could tell that the Raven was smiling. Rook's thoughts permeated his. "I think I decreased its weight."

Bruiser expanded on that thought. "If you're able to control mass, or density, or even the gravitational effect on people or objects that might explain your ability to fly."

Demon added "Oh, yeah! If you could make someone or something HEAVIER that'd be a really powerful ability."

Merc saw more merits. "Actually, even if he CAN'T it's still really powerful... hey, Rook-- you think you could make ME light?"

The Raven looked his way, feathers fluffing up as he shrugged using his wings. "I THINK I am learning how to control it. I can try, I suppose..."

Resting his talon on Merc's shoulder, Rook stood there for a moment, no apparent change taking effect. After a long pause the Kangacobra asked "Did it work?"

Offering another feathery shrug, Rook reached out with his other talon and gripped either of Merc's shoulders before handily lifting him off the roof. There was mirth in the Bird's mind speech. "Yes. I believe it did."

Demon was very quick to speak to Merc's plan. "Hey! You could probably fly with us now, couldn'cha?"

Merc reinforced that idea. "Whadda ya say, Rook? Care to give it a try?"

It took a little convincing by all three of them to at least try hovering before Rook agreed to it but, by the third flap of them staying in the air, the Raven wasted no time taking off properly, soaring into the night's sky with Merc's biceps gripped in his lower talons. The bird was able to soar across the the campus, mentioning something about thermal updrafts from the walking paths and parking lots, but the Kangacobra was more absorbed in the sensation of flying through the air than he was in figuring out the intricacies.

They made three circuits of the university campus before Rook brought them back in for a landing. By that time almost an hour had passed and, thankfully, the rowdy group that had joined them on the roof had disbursed. Landing on the bottom of the two roof tiers, Rook gave them some space so Merc could restore Bruiser and Demon to their proper size. Merc then felt a faint, almost imperceptible adjustment as to how his body's mass was distributed, and he realized that his weight had returned to normal. By that point Bruiser was already retrieving their bags. "Looks like these weren't touched."

Demon chuckled. "Yeah... nothing like having to scramble through the hallways, all of us naked, without a REALLY good excuse."

Still riding high on the adrenaline coursing through him due to the experience of flight, Merc was panting, head swimming slightly with all the endorphins. "Not sure I'm ready to go back to being a Human yet..."

Rook glanced his way. "Well... we still have about twenty minutes... what would you suggest, fearless leader?"

There was something incredibly gratifying hearing such a statement spoken, and it left Merc a little punch-drunk as he felt the goofy smile spread all the way around his muzzle. "Honestly? I really hard fuck."

Bruiser seemed taken aback. "Right here? On the roof?"

Despite the Orca's objection, Merc noticed the way the space between his legs reddened and the Kangacobra knew that Bruiser wasn't really objecting. Rook, however, had put a plan together. "Demon... how many people can you phase with you through solid objects?"

The Pit bull grunted. "Dunno... never tried more than one at a time-- could be a little too dangerous to experiment randomly."

The Raven shrugged, pointing downward. "Your dorm is three floors down. Bryce and Adam, the dorm two floors below us are out for the night. Bruiser, any idea if there's anyone in the apartment right below us?"

The Orca apparently quickly picked up on what Rook had in mind. "All clear."

Looking back to the Dog, the Bird noted "Well... how about you send each of us down one floor, then down another floor... then down into your dorm? No reason we can't stay like this for a little while longer... right?"

Demon grinned. "See? This is what I've been telling you guys: all along we've been missing the 'guy in the chair'!"

Bruiser smirked back. "Well, considering what we've learned tonight, maybe he should be 'the guy in the chair' in the field."

Merc let out a soft, lusty growl as he licked his maw with his long, serpentine tongue. "Right now he should be the guy in bed biting a pillow..."

Utilizing Demon's phasing ability, they were able to make that happen in less than five minutes, which was a good thing because Merc wanted those extra fifteen minutes put to good use... and they were.

* * * * *

Frank awoke with a yawn, wiping the sleep out of his eyes as he rolled over in bed, wincing as a bright beam of sun struck his face. It had been a long time since the sun had been in a good position to do that at his normal wake up time and he froze, mind quickly replaying the prior night and coming to a screeching halt once he came to the realization that he'd forgotten to set his alarm!

Falling out of bed and cursing as he went, the young man threw on a pair of pants and grabbed the closest t-shirt from a pile of what he hoped were clean clothes before grabbing a pair of socks out of the hamper by his door and rushing into the living room. He was surprised to Juan reclining on the sofa in a white undershirt and boxers, surrounded by clean laundry. Even as Frank rushed out into the room, his boyfriend continued reclining, smiling up at him while folding a dish towel. "Hola, amorcito."

Frank had no idea how Juan could be so calm. "It's almost TEN! We're LATE for class!"

Juan remained relaxed. "No classes today... mayor declared a state of emergency."

Joining to sit on the sofa (where there weren't folded clothes), Frank waited as Juan unmuted the TV. There was a news announcement reiterating breaking news about a small net-negative group of Metamorphs causing trouble around town. While most low-ranking Metamorph group activities weren't usually cause for concern, the fact that they were a net-negative group and people had already been injured was enough for the Mayor to choose to play it safe. Frank scowled. "Hmm... I guess they passed that law then, huh?"

Juan nodded. "Last election cycle... when it comes to a crisis caused by Powered groups Mayors in almost half of the states are now able to declare city-wide emergencies. No word yet if they're going to alert the national guard though... that still has to be done by the Governor so, for now, it's just closed city offices, schools, colleges, and universities. Chance is out getting breakfast for everyone."

Living as Metamoprhs provided a certain perspective for Frank and his boyfriends so he understood Juan's lack of concern. Flopping in a more relaxed manner, Frank let out a calming sigh. "Cool... and Cy?"

Juan continued folding laundry. "Left before the announcement back when we all thought there would be classes today. He said he had to get back home so he could change and get ready for the day."

It certainly sounded like Christopher: responsible and productive. Frank stood back up and went to collect his cell; there was already a message waiting for him from Cy: SORRY I COULDN'T STAY. SEE YOU IN CLASS. The message was sent just before 7.

The young man texted back. YOU WATCHING THE NEWS? NO CLASS TODAY MEANS WE CAN HANG OUT SOME MORE IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE.

He adjused his hastily donned clothes and, not receiving a response to his text, put his cell away and made his way back out to the living room. The news report was still talking about the possible risks of having a net-negative Metamorph group around, treating it like some kind of disaster-waiting-to-happen, almost like expecting aftershocks once a big earthquake hit. Frank wasn 't impressed. "If they did their thing at eight-oh-whatever then we have almost a full day before we have to worry about em again. Yeesh."

Juan shrugged, finishing the last of the laundry and sliding the basket out of the way so he could curl up on the sofa with his head in Frank's lap as they continued watching together. "True... seems like a waste of a day but not everyone knows how Metamorphs work and playing it safe tends to get better approval ratings for politicians."

Frank ran his fingers through Juan's hair. "Mmm... they'll probably have the police ready to stop em tomorrow.... hell, they'll probably triple police on the street TODAY and exhaust them before they can even do anything."

Before the discussion could go much further the front door opened and Chance let out a loud declaration of "Breakfast!"

Juan rose up off of his lap and Frank stood; the two of them headed to the table together as Chance began to unpack bagel sandwiches from their favorite breakfast place. Frank was pleased. "Looks like Court Street Bakery is still open."

Chance laughed. "Yeah! Can you believe how everyone's losing their minds over some no-name net-negative Metamorph group? I mean, it's silly, but it's kinda cool too."

Juan was not quite so gung-ho. "Net-negative groups hurt people, Chance... there's nothing 'cool' about that."

The white guy waved away the concern. "I know, I know... I just mean--"

The developing argument was stalled when Frank's cell went off. Pulling it out of his pocket, he was surprised to see that it was Cy finally responded to his text. He mouthed 'Christopher' to his boyfriends before looking at the message. I'M HERE WITH THE CHESSMASTER. WE HAVE ANOTHER ASSIGNMENT FOR MERC'S METAMORPHS.

His expression must have said it all since Chance and Juan stopped their argument and Juan asked "Que te pasa? Todo bien?"

Not entirely sure how to feel, it took Frank a moment to respond. When he did, he kept it simple. "It's Cy. He said he needs Merc's Metamorphs for another job."

Chance, as usual, was pragmatic about it. "Oh? What's the job?"

Emotions creating conflict within him, Frank tried to keep his inquiry straight and to the point. WHAT JOB? WHY US?

Christopher's response came back almost instantaneously; Frank presumed it was probably pre-typed and Cy was waiting to ge a response before sending it. WE NEED YOU TO ARREST THE NET-NEGATIVE METAMOPRH TEAM.

Frank didn't realize he'd given any indication of his mood until Chance called him out. "Dude... you'll break your phone if you keep gripping it that tight.

Not responding to his boyfriend, Frank responded back. WE DON'T LIKE TO GET INVOLVED IN METAMORPH STUFF CLOSE TO HOME.

Once again Christopher's response came lightning quick. IT IS AN OFFICIAL JOB PER OUR AGREEMENT AND IT PAYS $50,000.

His response got a reaction from both of his boyfriends. "Que?" and "What?" were asked at the same time.

Frank rolled his eyes. "Breakfast has to wait. It looks like we got another job."