Chapter Text
Gary Barkovitch was dreading his birthday. This wasn't unusual. Most sane boys dreaded the teen years for something bigger than puberty.
The teenage years were when young men could develop their powers. No one knew when it started. No one knew why. All the world knew was that every year on the 1st June one young lad between the ages of 13-19 from each state would suddenly wake up with a new power.
There were some more known than others. Fire - a boy had woken up once to find his house burnt down and his family dead. Water - rumour has it another had woken to a literally flooded bedroom.
Extreme physical strength - they didn't tend to last long. People got scared. Previous friends, neighbours - in some cases even family - turned them into the government and then the Majors men would turn up in their tanks. They'd subdue the young man, say he was going to a better place where 'his powers could be better used' and then he'd be gone.
Although he was warm in his bed, Gary shivered. No one knew where they went. Wen Kroy was the theory. As the capital it would make sense. A underground government sector spanning the whole of the land was another. Hard to pull of, but if anyone could, it would be the major.
The Major was ancient - he was Middle Aged when his Meemaw was a young women for fucks sake - and he ruled over Acirema with an iron fist and what he called 'kind discipline'. Kind discipline, what a fucking joke.
Eventually Gary settled into a fitful sleep.
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The next morning Gary woke up and tensed. Had anything changed? He risked opening an eye. His bed was not on fire. Nor was it frozen. He wasn't floating and his skin hadn’t changed colour or anything.
He took a deep breath and breathed out slowly. Ok, this was good. He felt sorry for the poor fucker who did get powers but at least it wasn't him.
After a few minutes he relaxed enough to get his body to move and he dragged himself out of bed. His Meemaw must have been listening for signs of life because about thirty seconds later she was knocking at the door. "…Gary?" She asked, tentatively.
For a minute his dark thoughts considered keeping her waiting, then he slapped himself and opened the door. "All good." He said, with a smile. "No fire, no ice, no flying. I'm good."
Meemaw beamed and hugged him. "See? I told you you would be." She said, as she patted his cheek. That wasn't quite how Gary remembered it, ('Statistically you have a small chance of getting it, but no one in our family has has it before so…') but he wasn't going to argue.
In celebration she made him his favourite pancakes while Butterball - Gary's cat, name chosen by yours truly himself when he was much younger - weaved in and out of Meemaw legs doing his best to get some of the tasty looking pancakes on the floor.
"Butterball." Gary picked up the protesting cat and hugged him. "Ooh, how are you, Buddy?"
The cat nuzzled into Gary's chin and then the blonde heard a distinct. "I'm good." From…the cat? He looked down at said cat, who was still nuzzling him, and shook his head. The stress was getting to him.
"Gary, put Butterball down. Your food is getting cold." Meemaw said, waving a spoon at him.
"Yes, Mam." Gary put the cat down and went to sit down. "This is nice…"
'Ooh, spider!'
Gary jumped. "Where!?" He whipped round to see Butterball pouncing on a small spider. "For fucks sake, Butterball."
"Gary?" Meemaw said, her tone indicating she was Being Careful. "What’s wrong?"
Gary paused as he thought about telling his Meemaw he could apparently understand animals. "…What would you do…" He said, just as carefully. "…If I told you I could understand Butterball?"
"I’d say that makes sense. You've had him since he was a kitten. It's not surprising you know his tells. If you're trying to tell me that he's speaking English to you…" She trailed off.
"His mouth isn't moving." Gary said, very deliberately not looking at her. "I can hear him meowing. It's more like…I know what he's trying to say?"
'Don’t be so worried!' Butterball padded over and jumped up onto Gary's lap. 'Here, I'll help." The cat started kneading Gary's trousers.
"He's trying to sooth me." Gary said, stroking Butterball gently. "He doesn't want me to be worried."
He could feel Meemaw looking at him. Then she got up suddenly and darted across to him. Butterball jumped down as Meemaw knelt next to her grandson. "Gary, listen to me." She grabbed his hand and ran a thumb along the back of it reassuringly. "I know this isn't good, but it may not be powers? Maybe you're just having a little break down due to stress?"
Gary giggled and felt tears pooling in his eyes.
"But even if it is powers I'm with you. I love you and I always will, but the world…we know what it's like. The good news is you've not got an obvious power. If you can keep quiet about it then maybe…you'll be alright. We'll move." She decided. "As soon as you finish high school." She squeezed his hand. "We'll take you to the Major-"
Gary barked out a laugh. "The Major!? Oh, he'll love that!"
"There’s rumours he can help, he's working on a cure-"
"What if I don't want to be cured, Meemaw? What if I think talking to animals is kinda cool?"
"It may be 'cool', Gary, but there's a reason people are so against the Powerful. They're scared of what they don't understand."
"If we wearn't all taken away maybe more people would understand-"
"Gary!" He was shook hard. "Please, listen to what you're saying! Do you remember that boy who got super strength in class and killed four of his classmates before he was subdued? The one who got fire powers and burnt down his entire house? The one who froze his mother when she woke him up? The one who ran so much he burnt a hole in the ground? That could have caused a cliff to collapse! Do you remember them?" He said nothing. "Gary!"
"I remember." He said, sullenly.
"Do you want that to happen to you?"
"…"
"Gary!"
"No."
Meemaw sighed. Kissed his hand, then the top of his head and hugged him like he was five again instead of seventeen.
Gary crumbled and cried into her dress while Butterball rubbed himself against their legs and asked what was going on.