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When we last left our intrepid heroes, or probably anti-heroes as it were, Elektra was sitting at the bar on the edge of some charity gala that was boring her to death, only to be approached by the Long Island Iced Tea drinking young man, Julian. Some fumbled attempts at flirting, dark eyes rolled, and some conversation later, the young man has managed to say the first interesting thing to Elektra he proposed the entire night. That he is a mutant. And that is intriguing. The dark eyed woman tries not to entirely buy the bait, still keeping that slightly bored look in her eyes, but she's no longer drinking her martini. She's watching him from the corner of her eyes, considering the look on his face. Finally, she tilts her head a bit more, letting her voice drop to be just between them, "…Mutant. You hide it well. What can you do?"
*
A slow, careful look around is done by Julian. He's resting his back against the bar, slouched low enough to rest his elbows upon it. Close enough to Elektra to be confident, hair slicked back and wearing a subtly expensive suite for the silent auction. His parents are off clicking glasses nearby, and what's more intriguing on the menu for him is definitely Elektra. "I can't whip it out in public." he murmurs. "How about you skip out on this with me, and I'll show you somewhere private? I've got a nice Jaguar. Even if I'm lying, you'll get a smooth ride."
*
The woman looks over his shoulders, trying to see if there was anyone listening to them or watching for him, then looking back to the young man. If the party had been a BIT more interesting, he probably couldn't talk Elektra into this. But it was a bore and the potential of him was intriguing, if nothing else. Elektra gives an overly dramatic, slightly deep sigh before picking up her martini and draining the rest of it. Once it's set back down, she shifts to standing. "…Not quite so smooth a ride as my Maserati, but… I suppose it will do. Fine. Lead the way."
*
Eyes slit narrowly at the idea that Elektra's car is better than his, but he just mumbles out a 'We'll see.' before pushing away from the bar. His arm extends for Elektra to hook with his, to at least leave the bar with a bit of class. Or perhaps he simply wants to get nearer, difficult to tell. "What about you?" he wonders, once they are through the door leading to the parking lot. Whether she allowed his attempted escort or not. "Elektra? You do lightning stuff? I totally bet you do." He remembers her story about the true origins of the name, but c'mon. Totally something either a villain or hero would use… probably villain.
*
"…Lightning… stuff?" Elektra asks, both slender, artfully plucked brows arching as she slips her arm through his and allows him to lead the way to the door. At least she'll leave the room smoothly and give his ego JUST a touch of a boost in letting the rest of the room see that he is leaving with a pretty woman on his arm. Of course, to any who know her, they are probably muttering about how the poor boy is about to be eaten alive. The night would tell. "…I do not do… anything. Lightning stuff or anything. I am not some… super hero. Elektra is simply my name. In truth."
*
Julian might be bold enough to slip an arm within Elektra's, but not so much to tug her close or get otherwise familiar. It doesn't seem to be due to shyness, however. Perhaps he's just not as stupid as he looks to try to get overly familiar. "You don't? Huh." He sounds honestly surprised. "You seem like a dangerous chick. I got a good nose for that. I'm never wrong." A devilish grin follows that with a wink. His car is nearby, rich crimson with the top presently down. The newest model. He goes to the passenger side and opens it up, offering the full monte of upper class etiquette to seat her within before sliding over the hood and jumping over his own door to settle in. "The whole engine is custom. I like the frame, but wasn't enough power." When flicked on, it roars. A lot. Vibrations thrumming head to toe.
*
Quietly, Elektra looks over the car with knowledgable, if skeptical, eyes. Custom job. She arches a brow and steps around to the passenger's seat, neatly folding inside with a flash of thigh through the long slit in her red gown. She settles back there and doesn't bother with a seat belt, of course, though the top down this time of year makes her smirk in amusement. "You also power charged the heating system, or do you like to freeze?" Elektra asks him in amusement. SHe makes no commentary about if she's dangerous or not. It didn't seem worth pursuing, or giving him hints as to the truth of that matter.
*
The car oozes money. Mondo, mondo money. A talented eye would put his family's net worth well past dozens of millions, if a kid like this has it. Eyes catch the artful slip of Elektra's leg, tongue drawn across narrow lips before he guns the engine proper to really get the purr throwing. "Baby, you make me… hot enough… already. Pffthahaha!" He can't finish with a straight face, shaking his head and flicking on the heater. A blast of cozy heat whirls out at that. "Man. I'm not used to effort. Money and looks works on 90 percent. …I kinda like it." Then the car is roaring down the street, Julian casually maneuvering with one hand and the other along the back of Elektra's seat.
*
While the car oozes that sort of money, Elektra is clearly still not all that impressed. SHe's getting comfortable in the seat and leaning back to watch the city past the press of the artificial heat, the chill of winter whipping over them. His hot enough line just gets a flat little glare. "…Trying too hard, Julian. And that was awful." Elektra dead pans, really not going to be won over that easily, much less iwth really awful pick up lines. She then looks from him back to the city, "I did not come to see your car. You… have a secret. You say you are a mutant. Prove it. What can you do?"
*
If money worked on Elektra, Julian would be a lot less intrigued. It's the fact his two normal trump cards mean nothing that equates to new territory. Which is a rarity. She's giving just enough thread of interest to keep him biting. Almost pitiful, how easily manipulated he is. "Yeah, yeah." He slows down then, finding an alley. Turning into it, he heads to the end before flipping off the headlights. Jumping out, a brief scan of the surroundings follows, not finding any sleeping hobos or the like. Unlikely in this part of town anyway, they're still in the upper crust. "Alright… you ready for this?" Hands clap together.
*
It was still winter! She wasn't going to get out of the car if she could help it, not in her little slip of a dress. She does, however, lean to the side so she can see him around the windshield. Elektra is interested enough that he has her FULL attention and that is not something that happens all that often. "…I have been ready since you told me in the bar. If you are what you say you are, it will be the most interesting thing that has happened all week. So, get on with it. I do not need any foreplay." Elektra states flatly. THe words sound flirtatious, but her tone of voice is not.
*
A little cold never hurt anyone. Okay, maybe in heavy doses, but Julian's trying to impress someone here. "Uh." He doesn't really misinterpret that at all. Instead he spreads his stance, exhaling a mist of breath. Eyes close, and then when they snap open, they are glowing green. Fingers surge with crackles of telekinetic energy, and he raises them up. Suddenly the car roars with a feeling like static, before being ensconced in a bubble of powerful energy. Elektra, and the rest of the jaguar, would then heft up a couple meters into the air. An unsteady 'vrrrrrrrm' emanates from it… and the pressure is uncomfortably tight. "Like… this…?"
*
The woman seems to be managing through the chill around her to watch what is going on. And then he's crackling with that energy and her eyes go just a bit more wide. Intriguing indeed. She gives just a bit of a jump as he wraps up the whole car int hat energy and then starts picking it up. She tries not to look nervous, but it wasn't clear exactly how much control he had. "Yes, well…that is a good start. Don't hurt yourself trying to show off! You can put the damn car down now. I get the point. Mostly… at least. I do have questions."
*
"O…kay…" Julian states. But his face is far too hard-set. His jaw is grit. Eyes narrowed. Fingers are curled so tightly, his tendons are visible. The car swerves to the side, banging into the alley wall. It's strange. He's having difficulties with it, but it doesn't feel like it's due to the car being heavy. Suddenly the compression is tighter, pressing taut against Elektra, likely near knocking her breath out. The windshield cracks, and one side mirror shatters. "…! Nnngh… Gah!" He then lets go. The energy whirls away, and the car drops six feet. The suspension is pretty high tier, so it's less jarring than it would be otherwise, but is probably a rude sensation. "Jesus… s-sorry!! I,I've only tried to lift a car once before. Then I—got distracted… not wanting to hurt you…" He steps back, hands on his head.
*
Elektra has partially disconnected.
*
The stealing of her breath, the pressure in that bubble, that is enough to make Elektra's eyes go wide. It quickens her pulse, adrenaline kicking in, and that actually makes this entire night a success, even if she has a moment of thinking that the thing that finally kills her is a sloppy 19 year old mutant trying to get laid. It would serve her right. Then she's being released, along with the car, and is jarred as they hit the ground. Elektra gasps out a little bit of a laugh, able to breathe again, but she shakes her head slowly. "…It…it's okay, kid. Seriously. Just… maybe don't go for the car next time. I could have seen just as well you lifting a trash can, you know?"
*
The young man doesn't get any closer. He's breathing a little fast now, flexing his fingers, the rush of a panic attack being to go through him. "I,I wanted to impress you." he states stupidly, as if realizing risking her life is hardly worth something so mundane. "Any,any wannabe telekinetic… can lift a trashcan…"
*
Of course, he's on the edge of panic at having risked her life, and Elektra's feeling better than she has all night, having faced the thought she might die. It was oddly comforting, having that thrill. Something she missed. At the back of her mind, there should be a small voice probably saying how unhealthy that is, but she stopped listening to that voice a long time ago. "Come on, kid… Get in and sit down. Breathe. No one is dead. And… I don't think there are many want to be telekinetics out there. I simply wanted to see what you could do. So… telekinesis, is that the scientific name? That is all you can do? Is it always… Elektric? I saw sparks?"
*
Breath in. Breath out. Shakily he heads back to the car. The door won't open now, so he crawls over it and ends up in a heap in the driver's seat. After a bit he orients himself, slapping at his pale cheeks. "I can do more." he admits. "This is… uhh. Actually a lot harder than some stuff." He looks around, but there's nothing bigger than his beat-up car. "Like. A semi? I can lift a semi. It's pretty easy."
*
That makes her tilt her head, "…There is no need to cause a massive amount of panic on New York streets by lifting a semi, as tempting as it is. Why… why did you have such difficult with the car, then? Simply because anything you lift generally loses… oxygen inside?" Elektra is honestly curious, not too worried about the car beneath her, hopefully it would be driveable, at least. She's more interested in the kid at her side, especially as the schmoozer exterior has been dropped.
*
"Semi wasn't my max. Maybe near it? I dunno. Never tried." Julian couldn't find something both big and private enough to stress his powers out. He knows he's powerful, but that's pretty vague in this world. "Umm." Looking around, he finds the garbage can, and flicks his fingers. It's awkwardly dragged over with a rasp, causing a lot of noise and difficulty. He pulls out a bottle from it with his hand afterwards. "Imagine you've got a big, heavy rock… and to move something, you gotta lower it really, REALLY close to the target…" His eyes flash green barely, as the bottle glows. It's already rattling. "…!!" It levitates about an inch, before beginning to crack all over. A moment later it shatters inwards. Yet instead of spraying debris, the particles whirl, glowing almost blinding a moment before literally atomizing. "…whoops. See? The rock slipped… That was you and the car… I-it was easier, of course. But the smaller the thing, the rougher it is for me."
*
"Ahhh, so it's not really about a maximum. It's about a safe minimum. That is interesting." Elektra mutters, watching him with the can and the bottle. She winces a bit at the bottle, seeing it start to crack. ANd then shatter. That wasn't entirely expected, but also not a total shock. "…fascinating. ANd… a bit frightening. I can imagine it's been a… lot. Going through these changes. Trying to figure out these… powers of yours." Elektra almost sounds concerned there. Almost like a woman who has some sort of heart or care in her. Or she's really trying, at least.
*
"…yeah. That's a much less stupid way of saying it." Julian mutters, trying to get his broken seat to recline backwards a bit. It takes effort, before something snaps and it fully falls backwards. He just accepts it. "Well, yeah. My parents wanna—uh. Hmm. I wasn't supposed to talk to that." He did reveal his mutancy is known to them, though. And he's not outed as a terrible freak. "I ain't making any progress on controlling it, though. If it's only good for destruction, then what?!"
*
"…Your parents want to do what?" Elektra asks. She now actually is a touch concerned. If she's committed to making a better life for herself, to being a better person, shouldn't she help others do that also? She shifts in her seat, turning to fully face him, so she has to cross her legs that direction almost more and tuck her one knee below the other so she can fully tilt towards him. She hugs her arms across her chest, trying to ignore the chill all around as they have a rather serious conversation. "…And how are you bothering to learn to control it? Are you actually training? At all?"
*
"Don't worry about it." Julian mutters, scratching at his chin. "Jeez. This isn't the mood I was going for. You were supposed to be all, 'Wow! You're strong.' Then cling to me. At least that's how it went in my head." Although the way Elektra shifts does catch his attention once more. "Uh. I am." he allows, trying to turn the car. The engine struggles a few times, but then finally sputters into an uncertain rumble. The heater eventually turns back on, if not as warm as prior. "Not making a damn bit of progress though. Just feel like I'm straining myself and getting a headache."
*
A deep smirk crosses her wine dark lips at his plan for the night and Elektra just shakes her head. "I hate to tell you this, Julian, but that was never going to happen. And should anyone actually ever attack us, you should probably sit back and let me do the heavy lifting. At least… where a fight goes." Whatever that means, it might be a good hint into the more dangerous lifestyle of Elektra Natchios which she has not been near so forthcoming with. She relaxes a touch as the heater does finally turn back on. "How are you training? With someone who knows technique, or are you just tossing your head against things? And I do worry about what people would do with power like yours. Your parents included. So, what do they want to do?"
*
"Goddamnit." Julian states lamely. "What? You know how to brawl, huh…? Yeah. I knew you were dangerous." He drums fingers on the wheel, his initial plans for the evening rather ruined. "Winging it, of course. I don't know anyone to ask. People don't really advertise it. I've kinda coasted Mutant Town, but they were pretty goddamn hostile to me, so fuck'm." He pointedly ignores the mention of his parents for the second time. The engine makes a weird noise, cutting out a moment before restarting with a worse grind.
*
A slight wince comes as she hears the weird, worse grinding of the engine. "Ah…perhaps you should leave this for a tow and we can walk back to my car. Your poor machine is not sounding all that healthy. Next time, Julian, it's probably worth not showing off using your vehicle." Elektra cautions gently, her accented voice carrying the weight of some wisdom. She doesn't comment about if she can brawl, though a slight quirk of amusement crosses her full lips. "And… that is a shame. It is… not possible to train much beyond basics without a teacher."
*
After a few moments, the engine makes a screech. Black smoke billows out, then a BANG. Fire spurts from either side of the hood. A few moments later the heater whines and shuts down. "My car's on fire." he states in an almost comedic voice of depression, forehead dropping to thump against the wheel gently. Thump. Thump. Thump. "Then I better just make sure to use it on who I hate, right?!"
*
Really, she's not supposed to care about people. Get concerned. Be protective. Elektra sighs quietly, looking him over, then back to the smoking car, and back to him. "Yes, your car is on fire. And we should probably get out of it before the gas tank catches fire and this gets much worse. Unless you can starve the oxygen out of it. Either way… kill the engine, and lets get out onto the street, shall we?" Elektra's tone is far more motherly or elder sisterly than date, right now, but she tries to gently coax him out of the car before she as well steps out into the chilly evening. "..And what about that powered police force? You… even if you don't join in the end, could maybe train with some of them?"
*
Julian considers this, extending his hand. It glows green, then the frontal part of the jaguar is gripped by his telekinetic power. The smoke begins to build up, although the fire appears to still be raging. Doesn't seem that he's able to keep air out, just particulates. Once this stresses him, he releases it, a big plume of blackness roaring up into the sky. "Damnit!" He smacks the horn again, causing an almost laughable broken HAW-Yoooooink! from the damaged airhorn. Although Elektra leaves, he doesn't immediately get out, as the fire continues to spread. There's no hint of being suicidal in him, just intense frustration and stress causing him to be a mite oblivious. "Oh yeah, they want some guy who can't save someone without shattering their bones. Coughcough. My parents wouldn't want me to do that anyway. Cough." He's trying to wave the black smoke away with decreasing success. Where's the fuel tank in this sort of car, again?
*
"Hullo. Julian. Kid. Come on, OUT of the car NOW Before it blows up!" Elektra insists, coming around to the driver's side of the car and staring at him with far too wide eyes. If he doesn't get moving that moment, she will actually lean down and scoop him straight over her shoudler, a surprising amount of strength in her small body. "I get that this is a very frustrating night. And I do not know what puppet games your parents are playing with you, but it's not worth getting killed for your ego."
*
The words make Julian try to focus, the aftershock of his panic attack and the near-miss parting roughly. Once she starts manhandling him, he makes a lot of complaints and manages to sidewaddle over the door and into the street. Mumbling to himself, he'd follow a few meters away, just before there's an eruption of fire under the entire jaguar. He winces and ducks, as it's quickly overcome. Full tank, of course. "Damnit. That'll piss them off…"
*
The woman walks with him in silence for several moments, wincing just a bit at the explosion, but she was expecting it. She just turns down the corner and keeps walking on, back towards the restaurant as her car is there and at least she can get him a ride somewhere. Elektra's expression is a bit darker now, and a bit more worried, dark eyes flickering back to watch him, "…Your parents… do they hurt you? Physically, that is. I am guessing they do emotionally. I can see it."
*
Although Julian didn't drive for long, he made up for it by driving fast. It's a bit of a walk. He shrugs out of his jacket, and moves to place it around Elektra's shoulders before rubbing at his biceps. "Jesus." is all he exclaims at that. "No, mommy and daddy don't hit me. They sure love my older brother, though. I'm the reckless one. The only thing they thought about me becoming a mutant was how it'll cause them trouble."
*
"Well… That's shitty." Elektra almost protests the jacket, but she was cold, and he was the one driving with the top down, so she actually takes it, hugging the thing about her shoulders as they make their way back towards Times Square. She frowns a bit more at the commentary about his parents, clearly seeing the struggle in his eyes, the hurt, the feelings of worthlessness. If she was a nicer woman, or better at this, she might hug him. As is, she just walks on. "…It…it's shitty, what you're going through. But… I know this might sound cliche‘… just… don’t let it it make you… evil. Awful. Be better than they are."
*
It's a pretty thin jacket. It won't help a lot outside the wind chill, really. He keeps huddled inwards, rubbing at his arms awkwardly. "Wow. Thanks, buddha. That really changed my life. I'm glad the girl I tried to impress and rejected me doesn't want me to flip armored cars." A bit of a bitter mumble.
*
A slight narrowing of her eyes as she stares back at him, "Look, kid… I'd say you got the short end of the stick, and you did… by being a mutant. Mutants aren't exactly everyone's darling right now. But you still have two living parents, more money than sin, and a half decent fashion sense. Maybe you should go back to impressing women your own age if you really don't want to hear what it's like out here in the real world. Your parents might be shitty to you but they still have you on their coat tails, clearly. Enjoy it while you can."
*
"The hell you talking about?!" Julian states, turning towards Elektra and widening his arms. "Short end of the fucking STICK? Did you SEE what I did?!" He then turns towards a tall powerline, right hand crackling with energy. He swings, and a bolt of concussive power /annihilates/ the wood at the base, hurtling through and shredding a divet through the well-tailored grass behind. Sparks go flying everywhere as cables snap and impact the ground. "WOOOOO!" he shouts into the air, pumping the air. "Did you SEE that? How is that the SHORT END OF THE STICK?!"
*
The woman slightly jumps as the kid just goes off the handle. Elektra might not exactly be a sane individal, but this was a bit much. Returning to the restaurant, she shrugs out of his jacket again and hands it back in his direction. "…Well then. Clearly you don't need my advice. Enjoy your… gifts, Julian. It was quite interesting meeting you. I'm sure if you go back upstairs, you'll find another young lady fully won over by them. I wish you luck. I… am done for the night." With that, Elektra turns on the ball of her foot, moving back off down the street. SHe is not staying for the over night, it seems, or even one more drink.
*
There's a lot of people coming out to see the unexpected destruction. The jacket is snatched up and thrown over his shoulder, a bit of a… wild expression in his eyes. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever." He reaches up to slick back his hair, and then strides with confidence back towards the gala, although a few people are glancing out to look. Two of them stare far too knowingly at Julian, who goes 'tch' and makes to squeeze past to get back inside.
*