Aberrant Pt. 02

"Accurate assessment." Sead replied.

Vanessa nodded, "So, Mark. Why don't you go and relax and we'll contact you when we're ready to set things up?" She said cheerfully patting him on the shoulder. 'Just let him chill here to get his shit together. Honestly it would be safer overall.' She added with a few signs.

"Oh, uh, dude," Jay says, looking over to Mark. "I don't suppose some of the stuff that guy was talking about was skycycle parts?"

Mark flushed. "W-Well, I..." He stammered. "A bit...a few..." He said, nodding, looking at Jay.

"A good segway into 'We know about the bike, bruh'" Gillian's copy said, stepping into the room behind her original. The copy was the blonde streaked version.

Jay just sighs. "You know that thing'll probably blow up when you kick the engine into high gear, right?"

"Actually I want you to keep your nose clean. If I talk with my parents and get you to stay here, you won't cause any trouble will you Mark?" Sean asked. "I don't want you where your old buddies lower on the ladder or from other groups can pressure you into getting in even deeper."

Gillian's copy used the original to lean on, kicking one leg behind the other.

Vanessa blinked, "You.. have a skycycle?" She sighed, "You.. know that's.. like obviously illegal, right?" She said, sounding a bit concerned.

"I'm going to have to get that dismantled and returned to him." Sean sighed.

"Before you do," Jay suggests, raising a hand. "We can get the parts looked at. See if it narrows anything down."

"Either way, I'm going to get that bike off the street before someone does something stupid." Sean noted as he stood up.

"Fuck, they might have serial numbers on them," Gillian said, snapping her fingers. "Oh shiiiiit, could you track them?" Gillian's blonde copy asked Sean.

Sean's eyes tracked between the different Gillians as they talked. "Maybe?"

Mark looked at his cousin, then sighed. "F-Fine...and it has flown just fine without exploding a-at least once!" He said, standing up and lifting up his hands.

Vanessa sighed, "Mark.. you are a brave guy. We need to work a little more on your common sense, but don't let anyone ever tell you you don't have balls." She snickered slightly. "But yeah, no more skycycles for you unless you want to become a cop." She said sympathetically.

"Illegal mods probably don't have numbers, but the cops or Utopia might be able to figure out where they came from based on similarities to other pieces," Jay said, nodding.

"And you wanted out of all this shit, it means you don't carry around the baggage of it." Sean replied to his cousin. "Annoying, I know, but it's the start of a good life. Deal with the growing pains."

"I mean, shit. We just became Novas and fell into this. There isn't any easy road." Gillian muttered.

Mark sighed. "Fine..." he shook his head slightly. "Listen, I'm bushed...and...you guys can have fun hacking my bike apart, aight?" He asked, starting to stomp off.

"Hey Mark." Vanessa walked over to him, "Don't think this is a one and done deal. You have at least one nova in your corner past this and if you commit to flying straight I'll be behind you too. Think of how few people have met two novas, let alone have them on their side." She smiled, "You upgraded big time, dude."

Alexa was miffed that they were playing nice with a drug dealer, but bit her tongue. She figured this was her best chance to maybe get an opportunity to test out her new strength for real. Not just lifting weights. She looked at her hands, an idea occurring. She grinned. "Oooh, can I pry the bike apart with my bare hands? I'm iiiiiitching to yank something apart."

As Mark looked at the lot of them, his eyes wide and slightly lost, Mrs. Toulman stuck her head into the room, interrupting Alexa's glee.

"Is everything all right up here with your nova party?" she asked, cooing as if they were all still babies.

Jay shoots Mrs. T a thumbs up, as innocent as the baby she thinks they are.

Gillian's copy smacked a hand over the foul mouth of her original and turned to offered a thumbs up, "Just chatting ma'am. Sorry for the language."

"Are you two gonna start making out yet? Jesus," Jared comments, glancing over to the scuffling clones.

"I think we are fine mom. But important question, can Mark stay here for a while?" Sean asked.

Mrs. Toulman blinked, then nodded. "Sure," she said, nodding. "Anything you want, honey!"

And with that, she ducked away. Tavi smiled at her girlfriend as Mark looked from her to the others, then to her again.

"Yeah...maybe I have..." He said, nodding - and as he did so, they had to reflect...without them being novas, they would never have been drawn into this. The orbit of their lives had been changed, and changed forever...and this was just the beginning of the changes that it would bring. But as the night had fallen...and school remained tomorrow, with finals to be taken - finals that they had missed - it seemed that now was as good a time as any to go to bed.

TO BE CONTINUED