Movin' on Up (Shane, Open)

[Nick Black]

Nick was sitting in the dimly lit auditorium practically dropping off to sleep as some high ranking AuraFiz official prattled on about integrity, courage, leadership and other shit. Nick had followed up on a hunch and he proved to be right, his Dad was getting promoted and it turned out he had come out to Atlanta just in time for the big ceremony. Nick ended up walking to the hotel he and his mother were staying at and finally his Dad told him about being promoted. It was an honor he went on, being in charge of his own division in Risk Management. His Dad admitted he didn't want to tell Nick because he didn't want to "show off." Nick figured there was some other reason behind it but he didn't press his father, he would figure out whatever it was in due time. Now though he was sitting back in a rather comfy chair prepared to fall asleep.

Nick did end up nodding off, droning out the sound of talking and the occasional applaud. The auditorium was full of AuraFiz emplyees, aparently all here to congratulate his father. Nick figured there were probably other promotions or other things going on but then again he really didn't care. The only reason he was even there was because his mother wanted him to be, and god forbid if he dissapoint his mother. His father as strict as he was had left the choice up to Nick, but offered that it would be a good chance to "smooze" with higher up corporate officals, saying he could move from the Miami facility and possibly get a better position elsewhere. Nick didn't tell him how much he would detest that but appeased his mother by attending the little ceremony.

"And finally I shall bring up the man of the hour," the man on the stage Boomed. "Michael Black!" The crowd started applausing and Nick woke up from his short nap just in time to see his father cross the stage to shake hands with the other man. Nick just groaned and layed his head back, he anticipated yet another long and boring speech about honesty, integrity, and whatever core values corps were pushing these days.
"Ladies, gentlemen, I thank you for this great honor," Michael addresed the crowd. "If not for the support of my staff, my supervisors,a nd my loving family none of this could have been possible." Nick never liked the whole career chasing aspect of corporate life. What he enjoyed was solving puzzles and fixing things, not adhering to guidelines or sucking up to superiors. As it was, his father had no qualms with such.

[Shane Jasper Harvey]

--//-- Shane Jasper Harvey

^{pdq: atlanta, georgia}
_{chapter one: indulgences}

Several minutes earlier...

Stepping in, it was just another day at work for Shane. He had no idea what to expect from the boss, as usual. As his eyes scanned the familiar room, one of the most private and and most secure rooms in the city, the extravagant modern tastes of the Vice kept him entertained as usual until he arrived at the first stair in the broadening private chamber.

A hot tub was the source of laughter as Shane's eyes peered at one familiar face, and two that weren't so much so. The one he recognized, his older brother, was the one that had caused his eyes to narrow defensively. ...thinks he's such hot shit, bet he'll talk this chick up like she's some kind of celebrity from hollywood... he thought pessimistically as he approached.

As he stepped to the side of the hot tub, he was treated to a gust of smoke, as Vance turned his head back over his shoulder, and greeted his younger sibling. Shane couldn't help but grin. It wasn't tobacco he was smoking, neither brother cared for tobacco products. By the glasses of wine, he could see that this was a little top-tier after party of some kind. Something was missing, however...

The Vice...

"Where's the boss at?" Shane asked, and Vance's face, however blissfully bemused, immediately turned cold and stony as he adjusted himself in the hot tub, sitting more upright, "Right, right... you should hold on until he gets back." he held up his two fingers, then reached them over to pass them to a woman with long, wavy blond hair that soaked up the water and veiled her relaxing upper body. She looked to be in her early forties, but well-preserved as Shane liked to say.

When Shane shot a knowing glance to his older brother, there was a quick recollection and suppressed chuckle at the thought. Vance always said that saying that about a woman sounded like talking about a mummy in some museum.

A cougar by the look of it, Shane thought as he looked back to her, and nodded as she was introduced. Shane placed the guy leaning onto her shoulder to be in his early-to-mid twenties, and he looked like an army boy. A very, very excrutiatingly cute army boy. Wonder if he's bi... Shane thought deviously as he eyed him over with casual indifference to what the woman's reaction might be. He remembered he was being introduced to her, though, so he turned his eyes back to her, widened them like a student trying to pay attention in class, gestured to her, "So who is she?"

"Who is... who is she..." Vance threw his hand over his face, "Oh my god, Shane, you don't know who anyone is. You're so untrained..." Vance complained, even nagged by Shane's standards. "Do you have any idea what this woman is capable of?" he asked, gesturing toward her as she downed the entire contents of her wineglass, then began to giggle from sudden attention from her companion.

Shifting his eyes knowingly between the blonde lady and her friend, Shane grinned and chuckled rudely, "I think I can make a few guesses..." he commented. Vance sighed and slumped his shoulders a bit, "Helen Chamberlain. No bells?" he asked, with no response from Shane, he moved on quickly, "Figures... Helen," Vance looked ahead to address her, "Show him what you can do."

Lifting his own half-filled wineglass, he set it back down beside him, and waited. Even her army boy sat up straight and made a bit of a distance as she shut her eyes and went quiet. After a few seconds, Shane was on his toes, as a strange noise, like the very space around him was sliding against itself abrasively and screeching like old wooden doors, only rapid and choppy, like the blades of a helicopter, all at once. His vision began to blur and twist in front of him, and he was beside himself with disbelief as he watched.

The strange, surreal effect flickered with more and more power and noise until there was almost a pop, a release, like something locking into place. Vance immediately took hold of the wineglass, and held it up. Empty. He began to laugh, and Shane looked to Helen, still shaken, as she held up her own, which had refilled. "That was some freaky shit..." Shane finally released the air he was holding in his chest as he huffed out his only immediate thoughts. Lifting her glass to Shane, the woman smiled, "No big deal, mate. Life's an amusement park," she spoke in an Australian accent, "It's no fun without the scary rides..."

Still a little shocked by what he'd seen, Shane swallowed his nerves and regained his composure, "Okay, forget it. What did the boss want?" he asked, wanting to move on quickly. He wasn't sure what the woman had done, but it felt... dangerous.

"No no, wait, you have to wait for the boss..." Vance held his finger up, "Come on. There's a little something he wants you to do, but I think you might need..."

Shane's eyebrows were both raised as if he had been questioned, "Help? No, I'm fine, what is it?" he insisted, and Vance sighed and shrugged, "Fine... theres a book on the shelf by the closet. Just take the post-it on the front and head to that address. Some AuraFiz gig..." he explained, "He just wants you to check it out, take notes, see if you spot anything odd."

"I wish you'd wait a minute, though..." he shook his head, and Shane sighed, "I'll be fine."

Heading for the post-it, he snatched it up, read the information, and leaned his head back, shutting his eyes to think clearly and quickly of which direction he'd be headed.

--//--

The AuraFiz compound

"And finally I shall bring up the man of the hour," the man on the stage Boomed. "Michael Black!"

In the dim auditorium, sound filled the room as everyone joined together to applaud the achievements of one of the company's rewarded. For whatever reasons, he was being recognized, promoted... something.

It was both odd and interesting, how although both AuraFiz, and Shane's own organization, although being entirely different, seemed to work similarly. Those who worked hard were recognized and rewarded, and had access to the more sensitive details. With this came more responsibility, more to be trusted with. At a point, Shane imagined, one becomes so immersed that they can't imagine being anywhere else.

The gang that had long expanded into an underground community had long since become that kind of a place for Shane.

As the man stepped out onto the stage, he knew he'd need to adjust himself to hear more clearly. Keeping to the dark, Shane rode the currents he created within his own control, manipulating the dark space that he hid in the auditorium's corners. He moved with slow, careful calculation, keeping away from light so that the extent of his influence wouldn't become exposed.

That could be bad.

In a room full of people, not one person would see him, Shane was sure. There was no noise to be made, as he reached the corner by where Michael Black was beginning to share his own words. Perhaps it was his professional intuition, but Shane needed to get a good look at this man. He wasn't far from the stage now, but he wouldn't be able to advance further without taking to the light.

His movements, however, were only masked to eyes that relied upon light to see, and the cocky, smug sort of guy that Shane was every day of his life hardly thought to pay much attention to the crowd.

[Nick Black]

Nick could hear the murmer of voices all around him and the raucous applause as his father was called up on stage for his promotion. For the corporate game he ahd just levelled up, it didn't just mean more pay and benifits but access to the deeper bowels of AuraFiz... Nick did'nt really care about any of that, in fact he was pretty comfortable with his own job. Climbing the corporate ladder and kissing corporate ass really wans't on his agenda. He liked to take things apart and fix them, he could care less for managerial positions or the paperwork and boredom that came with them. Sure he wa happy for his Dad, it was just the type of thing he wanted. More power to preach the values of 'hard work' and 'perserverance.' Nick displayed just how much he cared about such by sitting back and snoozing, it was just going to be another boring, pointless, ceremony...

Nick though half asleep was attuned to the sounds all around him, and the stochastic waves in the air. He could just make out breathing and in those close to him heart beats. It was all normal as one would expect but then there was another sound, almost like that of muffled footsteps. It wasn't so much the sound that attracted Nick's attention but the way his tycho was responding to it. Vibrant yellow and red lines against a blurred gray told him this was something to pay attention to. Nick kept his eyes closed, still half feigning sleep when his mother elbowed him rather angrily.
"Wake up, can't you at least pretend to be happy for you father," she hissed under her breath. "We're in the front row! People can see you."
"Well I can't see them," Nick retorted back. "I'm blind, if my eyes are opened or closed I get the same amount of information."

Nick vaguley heard his mother mutter something shrilly back but his attention was on the side of the stage. The red and yellow lines were emenating just off to his Dad's side, whatever it was he definitley didn't like it. he wondered why no one saw this figure or at least they weren't paying attention to him. Heads didn't turn, nothing, it was as if...they didn't even see the person. Nick felt as if his stomach fell, there could be a reason they couldn't see him and he could. He was invisible. Nick knew it was a wilk accusation, perhaps people hadn't payed attention becuase he was simply supposed to be there but he still found it odd. Not to mention the lines emenating from his form. It was just too strange for Nick, he had to figure out who this person was, and what exactly they were doing there.

Nick stood up and his mother hissed, "Where do you think you're going?!" Nick shrugged and simply responded, "Bathroom."
"Don't you lie to me!" Of course his mother was the human lie detector, even if Nick had tried to come up with a halfway decent excuse she woul have called him on it anyway.
"You have to go when you have to go," he quipped as he walked in the direction of the stage, inadvertantly sticking to the shadows. He felt along the cold brick walk and found himself next to the stage, he crawled up the side, hidden by the billowing curtain. The strange person was just out of his reach, but Nick decided to whisper a little greeting in any case, "So what brings you to this side of the curtain?"

[Shane Jasper Harvey]

--//-- Shane Jasper Harvey

^{atlanta, georgia}
_{chapter one: indulgences}

He heard someone speaking, but it didn't, not in the least, register that the person might be talking to him. At least not at first. Shane kept solidly in place, but turned his head quickly, if quietly, to regard the source of the whispering. What kind of wierdness is this? Shane thought as he took a step back. The guy seemed to be speaking to him, but... that was impossible.

Shane was cloaked in the blackest shade he could gather, light couldn't penetrate it, and yet, tucked away in the dark edges of the room, it was just as inconspicuous. Even still, someone had approached him, and spoke to him... as if they had spotted him.

Not a word... Shane coached himself, taking careful backsteps to make a distance from whomever he might be. Moving back quietly toward a side hall, it seemed as though he was not only averse to Nick's presence and attention, but didn't believe that he was being addressed by him, and acted as though he was still likely undetected.

Still, he kept his eyes on Nick, who seemed eerily attentive to him, and began to think of ways to explain the oddity in his mind. No way he can see me... he thought, ...maybe he's just talking to himself, or he's crazy...

[Nick Black]

Nick had been fitfully dozing when he had caught wind of strange movement in the shadows. Of course Nick couldn't exactly see so it was his sense of hearing that he relied on and the stochastic fields. In that he found a strange form which no one else could see. The teenager made his way to the stage where he currently saw the man emenating red and yellow lines. A thought crossed his mind of this man being sent to actually hurt someone, perhaps his father? Nick couldn't think of any feasible explanation for why anyone would want to kill his Dad but all the same, the man's prescence wasn't good. Nick addressed him but he issued no response, Nick cocked an eyebrow as he waited for the guy to acknowledge that he had spoken. After a moment nick actually coughed into his hand as a gesture of, "yes I was talking to you."

Nick wasn't quite sure what he expected the seemingly invisible man to do but he detected him moving away from him. It looked as if the guy was heading towards a side hallway. Nick cocked his eyebrow, and quietly followed him as well. His image would flit in and out of Nick's tycho probably due to his lightness of step but nick managed to keep a track on him. He wasn't about to let this peculiar person to get away from him. His cane clicked against the laquered wooden floor as he walked, it wasn't the most quiet but it didn't draw anyone's attention from the ongoing speech.
"Prestegous honor... I feel that I have truly earned this title... Plan on making everyone proud," Michael droned on as Nick caught just bits and pieces. What Nick was truly interested in was this man, whom nobody else could seem to see.

Nick entertained the thought that perhaps this was all in his mind, his meds finally causing him to hallucinate. As the thought crossed Nick's mind he pulled out the familiar orange bottle with he childproof cap. He tossed a couple Vicodin pills down his throat as he walked up to the man.
"I'm assuming no one else can see you," Nick greeted. "So you're either a ghost or someone with power. I think I'm just a wee bit more inclined to think the latter." Nick figured the man assumed he couldn't see him and had fabricated some sort of rational for his actions. "You know, invisibiity doens't work to well on those who couln't see in the first place.

[Shane Jasper Harvey]

--//-- Shane Jasper Harvey

^{atlanta, georgia}
_{chapter one: indulgences}

Realizing the seemingly impossible was in fact the case, Shane's quiet, careful withdrawal stopped. He had already grown far enough from the room to miss some of what was going on, and he hadn't fulfilled his business yet, in that auditorium. He'd need to get back, and yet... this guy was following him, talking to him, like some unwanted stray, at least until he mentioned something about 'abilities'.

Finally, Shane regarded him directly... the hallway offered enough privacy that no one else would see him as the inky blackness around him faded, and he revealed himself as he took note of his present company, some kid who looked about the same age as himself... "Are you security?" Shane smirked as soon as the thought occured to him, "I'm guessing you are... cause you're like me, you can bend the rules..." he nodded slowly, but wasn't entirely sure about this guy. Something was off with him.

As for Shane, with the 'invisibility' called off, he remembered that he was wearing a security outfit himself, and so asking whomever this was if he was working security... might not have been the best idea.

Shane was still getting used to having to deal with other people on the job, he was used to jobs that required... a different kind of finesse. This was mundane, and yet it also exposed his lack of forethought and planning in dealing with others, especially those who might also have the same kind of gifts that still fascinated Shane, like a new discovery, every time he met someone. His mind briefly returned to the woman, Helen... something.

"So, what's your gift, then?" he asked, looking Nick over as he took a few steps around to his side, and raised his right hand between them, "You have the power to see without any light?" he asked as he demonstrated a different trick... a bright glimmer forming between his curled fingers, in the palm of his hand. As the glimmer began to grow brighter and brighter... soon bright enough to blind anyone who could see... Shane waited to see the guy recoil or shield himself.

He waited for the chance to disappear again. Being followed by this guy would clearly jeapordize the mission.

[Nick Black]

Nick kept following this guy around back stage. He kne whis mother was probably fuming about him just getting up and leaving but he was curious as to who this guy lurking around back was, and mor eimprotantly why no one could seem to see him. Finally the guy decided to acknowledge Nick's prescence and the fact that he very well could tell that he was there.
"Are you security?" he asked. Nick thought it was a strange question, that is unless sunglasses and white canes were knew to security details at AuraFiz.

"Nooo, I can't say that I am," Nick said slowly, cocking his eyebrow as he did so. "Do you have any reason to fear if I am," he asked, curiously.
"I'm guessing you are... cause you're like me, you can bend the rules..." the guy answered. This was actually something Nick hadn't been aware of. Sure he knew specials were employed in different facets but was their security force so populated with them that it was known in particular?

"Security? No, wasn't aware there were specials in their ranks," nick admitted. Nick decided caution was the best approach with this guy. If he was askign if he was security it was the equivalant of him asking if Nick was a cop. It was a sign that this guy wasn't just here to enjoy the show and Nick had to say, that was worrying. His division in the corp had him deal with objects not people, he wouldn't even know how to use his abilities against someone if he tried.

"So, what's your gift, then?" the guy asked. Nick figured it would be in his best interest to lie, he couldn't go around revealing every fact of himself to this guy. Especially if it came down to him actually ahving to fight him. He just needed a power that was intimidating and would explain how he was able to see him...
"Adaptation," Nick stated. "I can adapt to any situation...or power. When I went blind it boosted my toher senses so I could cope. It's also how I was able to detect you," Nick continued. It was a passive power so they guy couldn't ask him to show it to him and it would discourage him from any rash action.

"You have the power to see without any light?" the guy asked. Nick could see through his tycho some sort of diturbance in his hand, but didn't quite understand. It then clicked that he must be doing something involving light, as he had just mentioned such. Nick just pulled off his glasses and stared at the spot where he assumed the light was. His pale irises were showing and Nick was showing no sign of discomfort or pain.