Forging New Paths

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It was a monster. That was all Luca could think. A strange monster with a person's face. It was terrifying, and the threat of danger had only made his gifts surge, fill his senses more insistently, fight to break free, to hurt what would hurt him. But Evelyn didn't want him to break things and he didn't want to hurt anyone, so he couldn't let it out. He'd been focusing more on keeping it in than being afraid while they were running, and he couldn't focus past the way it filled his consciousness and it was hard to stop being afraid when he couldn't think about being safe. When Garrett asked for a hug he only nodded, arms tight around Watson still and eyes focused on the ground. If it went away, he could think. If Garrett would hold him, he would feel safe.

Evelyn took another drink and set her cup aside near Luca's to take the pencil and paper, but for now only worked in lightly drawn, rough shapes, the trembling in her hands still just a bit too much for finer details. Her fingers curled tighter around the pencil when he questioned her, bracing stubbornly for rebuke, for insistence that she should have waited and couldn't do anything herself. Receiving only concern was unexpected enough she had to struggle to swallow down the irritation for things that never came.

"That's not how it works," she insisted with a shake of her head, and made herself refocus on the sketch so she wouldn't have to look at him and see disapproval in his eyes. "Pictures and text can only take me so far, and only so fast. I was only going to get close enough to see the building, to take a look at the surrounding area, I just - I didn't know that far away was still close enough."

If she had been alone it wouldn't have been so frustrating. She'd gotten herself out of close calls before dozens of times - but the fact that she'd had Luca with her had her so angry at herself she couldn't stand it. What if she'd gotten him hurt? What if he had hurt someone else instead at her command, and she was no better than the people that had kept and used him before? She'd worried that Anthony - and Shiloh, to an extent - would be in danger if she couldn't figure it all out, and it was maddening to think she had to choose between him and Luca. It only made her think that she'd been right to stay alone for the past few years, and these days that thought came with a burning sort of guilt at even considering it.
 
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Garrett was more than happy to pull Luca into a hug, holding him close and gently rubbing his back. "It's all right, Luca," he murmured. "You and Evelyn are safe now. We're all safe here." He took in another few shaky, deep breaths, slowly letting them out. He couldn't panic now. Even though everything in him was panicking eternally.

Had Luca and Evelyn been followed at a distance? What if something had happened? What was Evelyn thinking, bringing Luca with on a reconnaissance mission instead of Garrett?

But none of those questions would help in the moment. He needed to keep himself calm if he wanted to keep Evelyn and Luca calm.

"I - I see," he stammered at last, and he was grateful Evelyn wasn't looking at him so she couldn't see the tears shimmering in his eyes. He'd been the one to ask her to research. If anything had happened - if they hadn't made it back -

He swallowed thickly and closed his eyes. "If I may . . . I'd be more than happy to accompany you on your next research mission. It would be safer, with more eyes. Shiloh and Anthony will be okay here."

There was a knock from Anthony's bedroom door. "Hey, Garrett?" Anthony called. "Can we sneak into the kitchen real quick? We need some refills on the yogurt."

"Oh. Um - Evelyn, is that all right? They're both stable now," Garrett said. He smiled hesitantly. "I would've said something sooner, but I thought you'd both better relax a bit first."
 
Luca leaned into Garrett's embrace the moment it was there, closing his eyes and sighing softly in relief when his Shadow quieted and went away. He knew he could have it back in time to shield himself if he needed to, once Garrett let go, so it was okay for it to go away, even if calling it back to full force so quickly always made the body aches that much worse. His hold on Watson relaxed a bit, slowly, and he rubbed a thumb over the cat's fur as best he could where his hand already rested as a sort of apology. He hadn't meant to squeeze.

"It's fine." Evelyn said irritably, erasing a line and brushing away the eraser shavings with perhaps a bit too much force. "I got us out. I made sure we weren't followed."

She couldn't look at him, couldn't bring herself to analyze the change in his voice. He was angry with her, wasn't he? He thought she was stupid for going even when she'd only meant to go for a walk nearby, thought she couldn't handle anything on her own, just like everyone else. It was easier to think of those sorts of accusations as coming from somewhere else, rather than from how she wanted to berate herself.

"Do as you like." She muttered with a little shake of her head, ripping out the page she'd been working on to crumple it in her hands and toss it aside with a bit too much force. She closed her eyes, took a slow breath for calm, and went to work again the second she felt her hands were steady enough for it. "I've seen what I needed to. I just need to think." She had to remember the things that had come to her when she'd had no time to think or analyze and had to focus on running. There was no need to go back a second time, not unless they had a plan to set fire to the place.
 
Watson only continued to purr and licked Luca's hand. He was a cat that enjoyed tighter hugs, and besides, he was happy that Luca seemed a bit more relaxed.

But Garrett winced a bit when Evelyn snapped. Even though he'd been the one to suggest research - why was she mad at him? It wasn't like he'd told her to go to the lab and check things out. He blinked a few times, though, when Evelyn tore out her own page and crumpled it before tossing it aside.

Maybe she still hadn't worked through the stress of the situation. That was understandable.

He took another slow, deep breath and nodded. "All right. Yeah, come on out, Anthony. Shiloh too, if he wants."

"Thanks!" Anthony was the first to emerge, looking much better than earlier and back to his old self. "Luca? Evelyn? You want any yogurt? It's strawberry!"

Shiloh eventually crept out as well. He was nervous, but he was curious to see the people Garrett had been chatting with on the phone. He slunk past the couch and snuck a peek at them before relaxing a bit. They seemed more scared than he was. He fidgeted with his piercings a bit and followed Anthony the rest of the way into the kitchen, his black hair shadowing his eyes.
 
It was always the worst feeling, hearing herself speak in ways she didn't want to like she was watching from outside her own body, unable to stop it. Evelyn had to take a deep breath just to make herself calm enough to answer Anthony in an even, unbothered tone, not wanting to upset him while he wasn't feeling well.

"We're all right," she managed carefully, shaking her head at the offer and not quite looking up from her paper. "Thank you, Anthony."

When he had gone to get his yogurt she was back to drawing again, and Luca shifted a little in Garrett's arms to see her better. Moving Watson to just one arm, he shifted just a little away, not wanting to make Garrett let go but just far enough to reach for Evelyn and touch her hand. She flinched a little at the touch, pencil stilling when she turned to look at him, to see him reaching for her because she was acting strange even though he'd been so scared he couldn't speak. Just that was enough to finally break her, her expression crumbling into something distraught even as she let the pencil and paper fall to the ground so she could turn and reach for him.

"I'm sorry," she managed faintly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as best she could with Garrett still in the mix and pressing their heads gently together, petting carefully at Luca's hair. "I'm sorry, Luca, I'm so sorry. You're safe, it's okay. It's okay." She'd almost gotten him into trouble, and even if he could have gotten them out of it what right did she have to make him? She was supposed to be the one watching over him, and she had failed miserably.

Luca only closed his eyes again and leaned his head a bit into hers, content to have them both touching him. He was scared still, but he was worried about her. She didn't usually act that way, and he wanted to know if she was okay. Maybe she was scared, too. It would be fine now that they were together, wouldn't it?
 
Garrett's expression softened, and he leaned over to try and wrap his other arm around Evelyn's shoulders. "Evelyn," he said gently. "It's all right. No one got hurt. We're all safe, all right? It's going to be okay." He was convinced that it wasn't him she was mad at, but herself. And he understood. Especially with Luca being involved.

Anthony wandered back over a few minutes later, setting down some mugs of cocoa. "Here," he told the group. "You, uh - you don't have to drink it. But I thought a nice cup of cocoa might help you all relax."

Garrett smiled. "Thank you, Anthony. I really appreciate it."

"Sure thing. I'm gonna go show Shiloh all my circus stuff, but just call if you need us!"

"You got it."

With Luca slowly relaxing, Watson perked his ears forward towards Evelyn instead. Then he crawled over and tried to snuggle into her arms, purring and licking her nose.
 
Evelyn only shook her head, tucking her forehead down against Luca's shoulder to hide her face with her hair. She didn't have it in her to look at Anthony just then, or Garrett, or anyone. It was her responsibility to watch over Luca, to keep him safe, but she'd gotten overconfident in her own abilities and hadn't shown enough caution. It was a stupid mistake, and the fact that she'd gotten them out of it didn't negate the fact that she'd gotten them into it in the first place.

She managed a faint 'thank you, Anthony' from hiding but didn't look up until he was gone, shifting her arms back from Luca to bury her fingers in Watson's fur and make a small, overwhelmed sort of sound under her breath at his trying to help her. He really was a very good therapy cat, wasn't he? Even if he did put his unsanitary paws on kitchen tables.

Luca wouldn't speak, still, but after a moment, with Watson gone, he reached out to pick up one of the mugs and hold it where he could feel it's warmth through the ceramic, the heat from it rising to warm his face a bit from below. Garrett's nullifying gifts were helping, but he still didn't feel up to figuring out how to interact with people just yet.

When Anthony was gone and she had pet at Watson for a minute to help calm herself, Evelyn rubbed a bit at her eyes almost as if she were trying not to tear up and shook her head. "It was stupid. . . I feel stupid. . ." She should have been more careful. She should have just left Luca at home for a little while and stayed further away.
 
"It was just a mistake. You didn't mean to get too close," Garrett said softly. "But it wasn't a stupid one. You thought you were far enough away. There was no way to know they had security that far out." He rubbed her back a bit, hoping to help her relax. "Anyway, at least now we know what to look out for, right? And we have a safer distance in mind."

He went quiet for a moment, just sitting with the pair and listening to their breathing. But eventually he spoke again. ". . . You know, frankly, I'm amazed it took you this long to make a mistake of any kind. That's usually my specialty," he added with a gentle smile.

Watson kneaded Evelyn's legs, squinting his eyes and purring. He was pleased his calming effects seemed to be working even on her.
 
"But I should know." Evelyn insisted with a shake of her head, focusing on Watson when she felt unable to meet Garrett's eyes. "My whole job is knowing. What use am if I don't?" She was the Informant. Her entire existence was based on knowing things no one else could know. If her ability to trigger and utilize her Insight wasn't up to par, what use was she? She couldn't even help the people that needed her.

She managed to glance at him when he tried to make her smile, and could only sigh softly at her own stubbornness, clinging to failure as she always did. Until now, she'd been used to being alone until she could push down the feeling of worthlessness far enough to continue functioning. It felt more shameful with an audience.

After a moment she finally shifted her weight forward enough to lean down and pick up the notepad, holding Watson carefully with one arm so she wouldn't knock him off her lap and setting the barely started sketch next to her once she had it. ". . . I should keep working on it. At least if Shiloh knows what I saw it will be easier to ask questions." They still had a mystery to figure out.
 
Garrett blinked in surprise, momentarily at a loss for words. But eventually he leaned forward and tried to meet Evelyn's gaze. "Evelyn. You are far more than your gifts," he said softly. "You don't need to know everything to protect Luca the best way you know how, to help him heal, to keep track of my shenanigans. You're a patient and understanding person, with or without your Insight."

He gave her back another few pats and leaned back to give her some space. "As far as the sketch and the mystery goes - suppose I go over my own findings with you while you draw? I think we could all use some good news." He kept one arm loosely around Luca in a hug, and gestured at the doorway with his other hand. "So, Shiloh and I did manage to chat a bit, and I believe I cracked the code - at least temporarily - to solving the shifter flu. When he was infused with powers, it created several imbalances in his body. One of them was bacterial. Specifically, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Both of which are found in yogurt."

Garrett beamed proudly. "Which means we can fend off the other imbalances, at least short term, with nothing more than extra yogurt in the diet. It's not a long term solution, but he and Anthony are stable now."
 
She couldn't help glancing over when he moved, even though she regretted it instantly when looking away too quickly gave away just how much she was trying to avoid him. You are more than your gifts. It hit her in the chest, hearing those words. Like the sum total of all her fears, of all her regrets. If she had never been gifted, she wouldn't have been used like a tool so many times - but without them would she have any worth at all? It was the kind of worry that lived underneath every choice she'd ever made, lying just beneath the surface of every step she took. How could he dissect her so thoroughly, in so few words? It wasn't fair. She wasn't supposed to feel so much like crying in front of other people.

She was quiet for a long moment, listening but with her gaze on Watson or the paper, feeling as if she and Luca looked much alike in that moment for how much she refused to meet Garrett's eyes. Finally, she gave a Watson a little nuzzle atop his head in place of an actual kiss, and very gently moved him over to Luca's lap so she could work.

"Impressive detective work," she said softly, picking up the pencil once more and taking a calming breath before starting to work on her lightest lines once more. "I'm glad they're both all right, for the time being. Did he happen to mention whether or not this condition will be permanent or not?" If there was some sort of cure, perhaps further investigation at the lab would be necessary after all.
 
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The detective smiled a bit and relaxed once Evelyn took a calming breath. Hopefully she was starting to feel safe again. "The shifter flu? No, it's not permanent. But he's more susceptible to it while unstable." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I'm pretty sure there must be a way to cure the instability with a specific balance of chemicals. From what I understand, the lab gave him various, uh . . ."

He was going to say injections, but he didn't want to accidentally upset Luca. ". . . stuff on the daily. But Shiloh said they omitted a certain chemical on purpose so the stuff wasn't permanent. It would be if it had the missing chemical."

Watson was more than happy to be returned to Luca. He made a "mrrrp" sound and curled up in the boy's lap, making himself comfortable.

"I'm sure Shiloh would be happy to talk with you whenever you're ready."
 
Evelyn only nodded along, listening quietly and working on bringing her sketch together as quickly as possible. If it wasn't extremely detailed or realistic, it would at least get the job done so she could be done with thinking about it. She could make a more detailed sketch when it wasn't still making her heart race to think about it.

"Once I finish this." She said after a pause for thought, considering what was best for her, and for him. "I'll give him a little while to finish his snack." It was, perhaps, cruel of her to make him speak of the place he had likely escaped and never wished to return to, but she needed answers.

Luca moved his hot chocolate out of the way for Watson, taking a small, careful sip once the cat was settled and purring in his lap, and leaning a bit more against the arm still resting around him. He didn't really like what Garrett and Evelyn were talking about, or understand all of it, but it was okay to just listen to the sounds of their voices.
 
"Sounds like a plan," Garrett said softly. His gaze traveled towards Luca, and then briefly toward Anthony's door. "Say, Luca - while we're talking with Shiloh, do you want to go see Anthony's circus collection? He'd love to show you, and I don't think you've seen it all yet," he added with a smile.

"Whoa! You've got like six different kinds of hot cocoa?" Shiloh called from the other room.

Garrett chuckled. "Mhm. And that's just part of my stock. I've got a few more types at home."

A few minutes later, Shiloh walked back into the office space, holding a plate of bacon and a mug of cocoa. "I'm glad you all seem a bit more relaxed. Um - couldn't help but overhear something about the lab. Are you both okay?" He sat down in a nearby chair, tilting his head at the pair. It only took him a few seconds to finish the bacon. Then he fidgeted with the handle of his mug, taking a sip of the cocoa occasionally.
 
Luca only looked at Garrett sidelong, staying as still as possible like just that would keep anything bad from happening. When Garrett asked if he wanted to leave he could only shake his head, one hand on Watson and the other holding his mug still, careful not to spill it. He didn't want to leave. Garrett and Evelyn were here, so he needed to be here.

Evelyn sighed softly, glancing at him only briefly to keep working on her sketch, and when she had a basic outline finally stopped to put a gentle hand on his arm. "The things we talk about might be scary. Are you sure you want to stay?"

He only nodded, just once, and refused to move, so eventually she had to press on regardless. She would keep part of her attention on him in case it all became too much. "This lab," she started, working on more detail on the drawing rather than looking at Shiloh as he sat down, "are they trying to provoke physical mutation?"

It had been a long time since she'd encountered gifts that involved physical changes in a person's body. Most were well hidden, looking perfectly human on the outside like her, or like Garrett. To see someone who was part spider, and then to have someone like Shiloh in front of her who had been changing shapes off and on - it was surprising, to say the least.
 
"All right," Garrett murmured softly. "Don't you worry, Luca. It's safe here. But if things get too scary, just let us know and we can talk about something else." He glanced over at Shiloh and nodded. "Go ahead, Shiloh."

Shiloh nodded back, pulling in a deep breath before sighing heavily. "Not . . . physical mutation specifically," he said at last. "But powers. They're trying to infuse people with powers. It's just physical mutation powers have been the only ones to not k - " His voice trailed off a bit as he glanced at Luca. Then he looked back at Evelyn. ". . . They're the only powers that have been successfully infused, more or less. At least that I've seen. They've tried other powers, but uh - " He shuddered and wrapped his arms around his legs.

"Shiloh. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Garrett said gently.

"N - no, I can. I can." Shiloh took another breath. "I've only ever seen one or two rooms in there. The experimentation room, and the holding rooms like the one I was in."
 
Luca nodded and sipped carefully at his drink, determined to stay even if scary things happened. Words would be okay, he thought. As long as nothing tried to chase him again, as long as his Shadow stayed quiet and didn't want to force its way free of him, it would be okay.

Evelyn was quiet, listening and nodding along but focused on her artwork, but her eyes rose from the paper when Shiloh corrected his own choice of words. She almost wanted to stop Garrett, to insist that they needed answers and had to talk about it - but after a careful pause for breath she held back. Now wasn't the time to panic.

Finally, she examined the drawing and held it up for Shiloh to see. The face wasn't drawn on yet, and she hadn't gone into heavy detail, but the form of a man-spider was clear and she had drawn in the bracelets and necklace as well as she remembered them. "Did you ever see something like this?" She couldn't bring herself to say someone, despite the way it had spoken. It had felt too wrong.
 
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Shiloh's eyes widened at the sight of the paper, and he nodded and leaned forward. "Y - yeah! That's one of the guys who got experimented on. I saw him in the hallways once or twice, and in the experimentation room. When did you see him?"

Garrett took a breath. "They went near the labs to do some research. I assume they found him outside."

"Outside?" Shiloh echoed in shock. He looked at the paper again and nodded. "Ohhh, that must be what the bracelets are for. Those gems have the same color as the stuff they injected me with sometimes. They must keep his powers stable so he can move around on his own."

"What would happen if they weren't stable?" Garrett asked hesitantly.

"Hmm. Well - when my powers aren't stable, I can't control my shifting ability. But his powers were more spider like, so I'm not sure what would happen to him," Shiloh admitted.

Suddenly Garrett blinked. "Wait. You can shift into different objects as well, right?"

"Yeah . . .?"

"Could you shift into a map of some sort, or a picture of the experimentation and holding rooms?"

Shiloh stifled a giggle. "I could, yeah. Or I could just draw it like a normal person."
 
So the fancy jewelry was a weak point. Evelyn filed that information away for later, as well as the strange idea that Shiloh could shapeshift into objects as well as humanoid things. Like a mimic, she thought briefly, but shook it away with a mental roll of eyes at herself.

When Garrett suggested changing into a map she gave him a questioning look, for a moment wondering just how he came up with such fantastical ideas without first coming across the easiest solutions, but she supposed that was why they worked well together. Garrett could solve problems in ways that she would never have thought of herself.

"A map would be helpful," she said rather than comment, flipping over the page she'd been working on and standing to give Shiloh the paper and pencil, then went back to her seat to finally pick up the drink Anthony had left her. "Whatever you can remember. Anything can help." She didn't have any intention of going inside the place, but eventually someone would need to shut it down.
 
"Sure thing," Shiloh replied. He took the paper and pencil gently and began drawing, pausing every so often to remember what he could. Eventually he'd made two comprehensive sketches of the rooms he knew, complete with notes on where the cameras were, how often people tended to come in and out, and even a few sketches of the scientists who worked there. ". . . And that's about all I've got. I was only in there for a month or so," he added.

". . . Ah. That reminds me, we should get you back home," Garrett said at once. "Do you need us to drive you somewhere, or walk you there?"

Shiloh stiffened and grimaced. "Oh. Right. That. Uh . . . Nope! I can get home by myself. But thanks for the offer." He stood up quickly, gently setting the cocoa mug aside. "So, uh, do you guys need to know anything else, or - ?"
 
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