Halcyon: First Impact

By Lufone

(Author's Note: Standard disclaimers apply. All characters featured herein excepting Halcyon/Joey Kincaid, are the property of Wildstorm Comics.

Okay, for those of you who are fans of the comic book series "DV8", featuring the group of "anti-heroes" called the Deviants, this story's world will appear an amalgamation of various timepoints provided by the canon arc. Ivana is already mostly cyberized, Threshold has left the group, but Hector is still alive in my version (necessary, since it's him I'm interested in for the muscle growth). Those of you unfamiliar with the series should also be able to appreciate this, since I assume only a limited familiarity with the characters and their respective personalities/abilities.

Since it seems I am incapable of writing short things, this is a teaser, just to see if you all like it. I had a lot of fun, and Powerhaus intrigued me as a character for some reason. Comments and criticism appreciated.

P.S.: Yes, my Evo is a bigoted son of a bitch. I figured these are adult forums, so it's okay to provide a character at odds with our collective world views. Just roll with it, please. ^^)

WELCOME TO INTERNAL OPERATIONS CENTRAL DOGMA. THE FILE YOU HAVE SELECTED REQUIRES S LEVEL CLEARANCE FOR ACCESS. PLEASE ENTER YOUR NAME AND PASSWORD. PROCESSING...PROCESSING... PASSWORD ACCEPTED. ACCESS GRANTED. THANK YOU FOR USING THE IOTA NETWORK, AGENT *******. PLEASE ALLOW TEN TO TWENTY SECONDS FOR THE FILE YOU HAVE REQUESTED TO BE DOWNLOADED. PERTINENT INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FILE APPLIES TO: Ivana Baiul, Director of Internal Operations Agent Leon Carver, codenamed “Frostbite” Agent Rachel Goldman, codenamed “Sublime” Agent Michael Heller, codenamed “Evo” Agent Gemma Antonelli, codenamed “Copycat” Agent Jocelyn Davis, codenamed “Freestyle” Agent Hector Morales, codenamed “Powerhaus” Agent Joseph Kincaid, codenamed “Halycon” DOWNLOADING FILE HALCYON.DV8 FROM SATELLITE... DOWNLOAD COMPLETE. COMMENCING AUDIOVISUAL TRANSMISSION IN 5...4...3..2...1... Seven men and women stood clustered in the center of a huge planetarium, shrouded by the necessary shadow, but occasionally doused in the light provided by the rotating representation of the stars and planets. An image burst forth in the center of the ring, depicting a young man with brown hair, a green sweater, boot-cut khaki slacks, and a pair of expensive green sneakers. He had a brown leather satchel slung over his shoulder, and wore dark green sunglasses. The collar of a white polo peeked out at his neck from beneath the sweater, partially obscuring the tattoo of a green star on the nape of his neck. “So you want us to do what, exactly?” Hector Morales, a.k.a., “Powerhaus”, peered down at the computer projection and ran a hand through his short, dark hair. A patch of light splashed the springy stuff with blue highlights as it bounced back into place. “Ah, Powerhaus. Always careful, aren’t we? Not very in sync with your Gen factor, is that?” Powerhaus crossed his arms and grinned across the table at the lean, busty woman who controlled the projection. “You sound worried, Ivana. That isn’t very like you either now, eh?” “He’s cute!” piped the small girl who clung to Powerhaus’ arm and watched Ivana’s projection from behind the large man’s broad back. “Who is he, Ivy?” Ivana glared crossly at the girl, who stuck out her tongue, totally unrepentant. “I’ve told you not to call me that, Copycat.” “’Told you not to call me that, cat!” Hector mocked, then giggled in a high, girlish pitch totally at odds with his build. “Gem, as fun as it is to watch a 300 pound man titter, let poor Hector go.” The blonde speaker toyed with the pair of chopsticks holding her hair in place. “Aw...you’re no fun, Sublime!” Copycat pouted, scrunching up her features into an expression of pert anger. Powerhaus blinked twice, shook himself, and glared down at her. “Anyway...” Sublime motioned for Ivana to go on. “As I was saying, this young man, who goes by ‘Halcyon’”, the name appeared above the youth’s head in the display, “is one of the few Gen12 children who escaped on their own. His given name is Joseph Kincaid, and he is the son of Professors Roger and Elena Kincaid of Northwestern University.” “He looks like a fag.” murmured the fifth figure, whose features held more than a bit of the lupine about them. “Yeah, what’s with the popped collar?” Sublime bent low over the image and fingered her chin thoughtfully. “You’re not here to evaluate his sense of fashion, you’re here to learn how to extricate him for me from his parents’ apartment.” “He lives with his parents!” Copycat stuck her tongue out again, and Powerhaus guffawed loudly. “Don’t be deceived.” One of Ivana’s eyes flashed, and the image rippled, scrambling into another picture, this one showing a nightclub filled with patrons in various states of collapse. Even the bartender and bounces lay prone on the floor. “Halcyon may be young, but his Gen factor was on of the first to manifest. The fact that he has managed to keep it concealed this long shows that he is intelligent, and this image is a fair representation of just how much power he holds.” “What exactly can he do?” asked the sixth figure, a tall man with a mass of long, orange braids tied and hanging to his waist. “His ability lies somewhere between those of Bliss and Powerhaus.” Ivana replied. The image shifted again, and Joey appeared in the projection, this time wearing a green-and-white body suit. He stood before a bonfire, and the flames curled toward his outstretched hands. “Is that fire bowing at him?” Powerhaus asked. Ivana sniffed. “Hardly. Halcyon’s talents with fire are impressive, but far the lesser of his abilities. His true power lies in his peculiar form of empathy. It is categorized as projective type, but unlike Bliss, he has no need to touch a person for emotions to manifest. When he exerts himself, as at the Corsican,” the image of the fallen club-goers flashed into place again, “every man and woman in a room will feel exactly as he does, be it happy, sad, angry, or bloodthirsty. They feel the emotion so powerfully that in some cases, the effect lasts long after he has gone. It appears,” she looked up, and the image vanished entirely, “that his ability is nearly limitless. If he can feel it, he can project it. I don’t think I need to explain how useful he could be under the right circumstances.” “So what’s your point?” asked the final figure, a small woman with sensuous curves and black hair darker than Powerhaus’. “I want him for the Deviants.” Ivana returned evenly. “With your brother gone, Bliss, we don’t have a projective psychic, and...” “And you want a new toy.” spat the man with the braids. Ivana laughed long and deep, and the man shivered, though the room was not cold. “Oh Frostbite, you’re such a kidder. But no. That wasn’t what I had in mind for our little firebrand. Evo, Bliss, I need you to get Powerhaus into the boy’s apartment.” “I don’ need help for that, Ivy.” Powerhaus punched one of this thick palms with a balled fist. “I’ll just bust on in. Kid’ll never know what hit ‘im.” Ivana shook her head, and Powerhaus’ face fell. “Not this time. I need you all to lay low. Ever since Chicago absorbed the university into its city limits, security on the place has been as tight as any of the government agencies you’ve infiltrated. It’s quite a different place from what you knew, Frostbite.” Frostbite ignored her, staring back without comment. “Whatever.” the wolfish man said. “But why muscles for brains, here? Subtle’s not exactly his specialty.” “Because Powerhaus is the only one of you who can handle the influx of emotions Halcyon fosters. Now, here are blueprints of the building and the surrounding grounds, guard rotations, details on the boy’s parents...” As Ivana blinked rapidly to change the display her eyes projected onto the table, Hector looked up at the ceiling and followed a comet with his own eyes. Weird kid. he thought, before Ivana snapped her figners to retrieve his attention. --- “Don’t worry about the kid’s fire, Hec. Frostie’s got it taken care of...ouch!” Powerhaus laughed at the sound of Gemma’s voice crossing through the communication link. “Powerhaaaus! Frostbite’s bein’ a big meanie!” “Hush, Little Gem.” Powerhaus replied. “You should have thought of that before you used that nickname. You know he hates it.” “But now my butt hurts!” “Tell her to shut up.” snapped Evo, whose powerful wingbeats kept him and Powerhaus (reduced to a more manageable weight of a hundred and seventy pounds) aloft in the Chicago night air. “I heard that Evo!” “Some of us have work to do, Copycat. So shut your yap, for the love of...” “Ooooh! Your mom chomps lard!” Before Evo could reply, Bliss’ soft alto sounded over the com. “I’m in place, chico.” Powerhaus nodded. “You’re damn good, Bliss. What about the guard?” “Let’s just say that if she didn’t dig chicks before, she does now.” Evo let out a low, rasping laugh, but kept flying. “It’s probably better if you set Muscles down a good bit away from the front door, bat boy. They’ve still got the guards on the roof and all the floors between me and the boy’s room.” “That’s fine, Bliss. You got the guard’s key card, then?” Powerhaus asked carefully. “Sure did. Her bra, too. Gal’s got good taste for a police chick.” “Good. We’re going to land at the corner Chandler Street and Rose.” Powerhaus looked up at Evo, who nodded and began the descent. “Man, this thing makes my tits look huge!” “Quiet on the open channel, Bliss.” admonished Frostbite. “We don’t want P-haus distracted while he’s dealing with Halcyon.” Bliss snorted. “You’re colder than that ice you throw, Frostie.” “You’re lucky I don’t make you give the bra back. Now shut the hell up; he’s about to land.” Evo dropped Powerhaus to the ground and alighted on a big branch above him. Curling into a ball, Hector hit the earth at a roll and continued out to the sidewalk, where he unfolded his body, shook himself, and stood up. “Tell me again why couldn’t I just take a cab?” “Ivana doesn’t want anyone to remember you were here.” Frostbite told him. Hector tugged at the collar of the blue button-down he wore. “Evo, man, you’re a freaking lightweight. This shirt’s way too small.” “Just get inside, Hec.” Frostbite demanded. Powerhaus rolled his eyes, dusted off his clothes, and looked up at the apartment building. “He’s on the ninth floor, right?” “That’s what Ivana said. Since Bliss took care of the guard on the first floor, all you have do is take the stairs up. P-haus, we’ve been over this.” “What about the security cameras?” Powerhaus chewed on his low lip a bit. “Will you stop stalling?” Sublime’s voice was tight with irritation. “Ivana’s already taken care of all that.” “Yeah, yeah. I’ll get movin’.” --- Bliss opened the front door when he used the buzzer, and he went inside, frowning up at the camera wedged into the right corner of the lobby. It didn’t show, but he knew it was there, even if Ivana had somehow disabled it. Sighin, he walked past the snoring guard, nodded at Bliss (topless to show off her new underwear), and went through the door to the stairs. Moments later, he was two flights up, and he caught a hint of the target’s emotional signature. He’s angry. The feeling intensified as he ascended, grew harder to ignore the closer he got to the source. He brushed it off at first, but if quickly grew too powerful to push away, and he felt the raw emotion feed into his muscles. Swiftly his chest pressed out against Evo’s shirt, drawing the fabric taut and snapping off two buttons. Pain flared in his head as he struggled against the energy, tried to keep it from making him any bigger. He loped up the last few flights and slammed open the door painted with a red number 9. Holding his head in one hand, he found the room with the nameplate marked “Kincaid”. He knocked, and the pressure suddenly ceased. He let go of his head and staggered as the door swung open. “Dad, I told you, I’m not going to...” Joey Kincaid stared at Powerhaus for a moment. “Who are you?” Hector grinned sheepishly. “This is Professor Kincaid’s apartment, right?” “I’m his son. What do you want with my dad?” Joey gave Powerhaus an appraising look, then frowned. “Are you one of his students?” What’s with the tight shirt? Hector nodded. “I’ve got him for Biochem.” One of the subjects he’d learned that Roger taught. He made a pained face, as though the class was difficult. Joey smiled. “Yeah, I hear it’s a bitch. Sorry, if you came to talk to him, he’s just gone to meet my mother for dinner. If you’d like me to take a message for you...” Powerhaus dropped the act, muscled the door open, and grabbed Joey’s arm. “Came to see you, Halcyon.” Halcyon’s green eyes widened when Powerhaus touched him, and narrowed to pinpricks when the other man called him by that name. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Oh come on, chico. We know all about you.” “Then you know I don’t like threats.” Powerhaus laughed. “This ain’t a threat. It’s an offer. How’d you like to be a secret agent?” Halcyon tensed, and the fear that flashed through him popped a third button off of Powerhaus’ shirt, opening long tears along the arms as his body expanded all over. “You’re with those I.O. people, aren’t you? The ones that...woman saved.” Powerhaus leered darkly at the younger man. “You could say that.” “You’re weak.” Powerhaus reeled as a wave of contempt slammed against his mind. it crawled into his skin, twisting his thoughts and feelings. Weak. You had to be saved. Not like me. Not like me at all. And you want me to join you? You aren’t worth the dust on my kicks. Gritting his teeth, Powerhaus took hold of that relentless tide of emotions and directed it the only way he knew how...into his muscles. He groaned as power suffused him and his arms thickened, biceps exploding out of the confining material of Evo’s shirt. His grip on Halcyon’s arm tightened as his hands grew bigger, meatier, and stronger. A long vein rose beneath the skin along each of his arms, tracing the length of them from shoulder to wrist. He spread his stance as his legs grew wider, shredding the jeans he wore up to his knees. He heard a gasp, and looked up. “You’re...you’re Powerhaus, aren’t you?” Hector nodded grimly, and the flood stopped for a moment, then changed. Wave after wave of pleasure smashed into him, barraging his eyes with an array of violet light and his body with sensual energy. He lost control of his own growth, completely destroying every article of clothing he wore as his body fed off of the storm of mindless pleasure that was Halcyon. Dimly, he felt warm hands clasp behind his head, lips against his own, and parts of him that had never responded before trembled with growth. Damn, those were my favorite boxers... •

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