Chapter Text
Morgan sighed, knitting his brows together.
Standing before him was the only other Seer Obscura that he knew existed, and they were exhausted.
“Can we just…take a break? Please?” They were working on honing their abilities and they had worn out their core.
“That’s fine, just sit down,” he gestured to the couch. He slumped down beside them, undoing his tie and turning on the TV. He flipped to a random news channel.
He froze.
‘-American government has already started making plans and precautions against this unknown threat. The leaked documents call them, ‘empowered.’
Morgan leaned forward, his heart pounding.
“Morgan?” He glanced at his trainee. “What-what does that mean?”
He shakes his head, his eyes trained on the screen. “I-I don’t know.”
‘We know little about these people. Where did they come from? How long have they been living among us? And, are they a danger?’
———
“Shit,” James muttered. “Shit, shit, shit.”
His phone had been ringing off and on for the past half hour.
“Your stress levels are elevated.” Asset sat to the side, eyeing their superior.
“I wouldn’t have guessed,” he muttered bitterly. They hummed in acknowledgment. “What has happened?”
James sighed, bracing his hands on his desk. “The Department was exposed.”
Asset tilted their head to the side. “What does that mean?” James looked up at them. “It means-” his phone rings again. “That the unempowereds know we exist.”
Ring.
“Which means our entire project could be shut down.”
Ring.
“Which means you could be shut down.”
Ring.
They stare at him blankly before looking away. “I see.”
Ring.
“God damn it!” He flung his phone across the room, a shattering sound echoing across the empty walls.
Asset looked around for a moment before facing him.
“Take my memory card.”
He looked up at them again. “What?”
“Take my memory card.” They repeat. “Or at least make a copy. That way, if they shut me down, you will at least have a way to put my memories somewhere else. Maybe you could make me again. Somehow.”
A glimmer of their old personality shone in their eyes. James swallowed thickly. “Okay…okay. We can-we can do that.”
———
Geordi was exhausted. He’d had a long day.
First, his internet went out, and so did his cable. So he had to get that fixed.
Then he phone broke, so he had to get that done too.
And when he finally turned his phone on when he got home, he was bombarded with messages and calls.
15 unread messages from Guy
3 missed calls from Guy
5 unread messages from “Honey”
2 missed calls from “Honey”
1 missed call from Cutie
1 unopened voicemail from Cutie
His stomach dropped. What happened?
Cutie hadn’t contacted him in weeks, let alone Guy’s partner. They were friends, sure, but not that good of friends.
Geordi swallowed thickly as he opened his messages
Guy
dude
where are you
have you read the news
do it asap
wait
maybe dont
well it might be better if you do
honey says you should
but idk
just do it
please
and dont panic
unless you heard something from then
then maybe you can panic
im definitely panicking
“Honey”
Read the news. Now.
I don’t care what you’re doing.
This is more important.
Ignore Guy. He’s in a bad headspace right now.
Check the news.
Geordi scrambled to open his news app. His eyes scanned the screen until he found what they could be talking about.
Friends or Foes? Who are these ‘empowereds?’
Geordi almost dropped his phone. He quickly scanned through the article, his heart rate picking up with every word he read. He felt like he was going to be sick.
He quickly checked his voicemail.
‘U-um, hey Geordi, I know I haven’t checked in in awhile but-‘
Something cuts them off. They sound like they’re crying.
‘S-sorry about that. Um, anyway, I just wanted to get this message out to you in case you don’t hear from me for awhile. I’m sure you’ve seen the news.’
Geordi bit his lip. So that’s what this was about.
‘I lost my job! Well, I think I did. Things are kind of a mess over here-’
Their voice cuts out.
‘-don’t know what’s gonna happen now. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. I just- I-I love you, okay?”
Their voice grows more tearful.
‘I love you and I’m sorry I couldn’t have been a better partner to you. I’ve been trying so hard to get better. So hard. I don’t know when you’ll see me or hear from me next, so…’
They sniffle
‘I love you. Goodbye, Geordi.’
His phone clatters to the floor. He slides down the wall as his breathing grows heavy.
“No. No, no, no, no…”
———
Angel hums to themself as they mess around on their switch, Minecraft lighting up their screen. They had just finished building a house for themself and their dog when their phone went off. It was David.
“Hey, Davey, what’s-”
“I’m coming home. Don’t check the news. Just-just wait for me.”
“What? David, what’s-”
“Just wait.”
Beeping sounded in their ear, signaling that he had hung up.
Angel couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in their stomach
———
Aaron pressed a heated kiss to his partner’s lips. “I’ll teach you to talk back, Smartass.” They giggled against his mouth, moving to unbutton his shirt when his phone went off. They whined as he pulled away. He chucked. “Hold on, it’s Elliott.”
He pressed the phone to his ear. “Hello?”
Flustered shouting could be heard from the other line.
“Woah, woah, woah, Elliott. What’s going on?”
As his brother chattered on from the other line, Aaron grew pale.
He hung up the phone.
“Aaron? What’s wrong?” Smartass clambered onto his lap. “What happened?”
He took their hands into his. He was shaking.
“The human government knows about empowereds.”
——-
It was supposed to be a good day. An amazing day. They were gonna finish work, pick up dinner, and cuddle Aggro until Milo got home so they could eat and watch a movie.
It was great.
But now, they were hiding under their desk while sirens wailed above them, and black military boots stomped by.
It all happened so fast.
One moment, they were talking to their coworker about their latest therapy session, and how they were going to reach out to their boyfriend again, and the next, the emergency sirens were going off and government troops stormed the halls.
They huddled under the protective covering of their desk, trying not to make too much noise.
Their phone started vibrating. They scrambled to silence it.
‘God damn it, Milo.’
A gloved hand reached under the desk and pulled them out.
“What a sweet little thing you are.”
Sweetheart yanks their arm away. “Get the hell off me.”
The man in front of them scoffs and says, “Don’t make this harder than it has to be. A lot of your colleagues have slipped away, but we have a few in holding.”
“Slipped away, huh?” Sweetheart says. “Well,” They look him up and down. “I guess they didn’t tell you how stealthy I can be.”
“What do you-” The man cuts himself off as Sweetheart disappears from his sight.
———
“Come on, Damien. I promise it doesn’t taste that bad.” Freelancer begged. Damien looked at the meal in front of him that Gavin had made. Everyone around him insisted that he try it.
“Yeah, it’s not that bad, Dames.”
“R-really, it’s good. Gavin outdid himself.”
The incubus in question leaned in close to the fire elemental.
“Please? For me? Don’t make me beg, Damien.”
Damien’s cheeks flushed a fiery red. “Fine. If it’ll get you out of my face.” Just as he went to go take a bite, Gavin’s phone rang.
“Ah…just a moment.” Gavin rose from his seat. “Don’t eat any just yet, I want to see the delectable look on your face when you try it!” He called before he disappeared out the door.
Freelancer furrowed their brows. What was that about?
They filled the time that Gavin was gone with casual conversation and some banter here and there. After about 15 minutes, Gavin came back inside.
He came back into the room, looking pale.
“Gavin?” Freelancer stood up. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Turn on the news.” Everyone looked at each other. “Now.”