Issue 1 Downtime

Miranda was sitting in the cafeteria, one sketchbook on the table next to her, closed and another one open in her lap. She was drawing in the one in her lap, pausing thoughtfully every once in a while. She had her feet propped up in another chair and seemed to be pretty relaxed.

((Open))

He couldn't help it, he was curious. Daniel walked up and peeked over her shoulder.

The image was nebulous, almost looking like a layout sketch. There seemed to be a couple of taller figures on either side of a smaller one, but none of them were detailed. "You know, sneaking up on me doesn't really work."

"Yeah, and after looking at that... it just helps me ask, how does that work, anyway?"

"Random mutant craziness... or clairvoyance if you're listening to the people who tested me after I got here."

"Enough to be able to... well, I'm assuming what you're drawing is something you're seeing somewhere?"

"No, I'm sketching out an idea for a larger image. This is my vision book," she said, patting the sketchbook on the table.

"Oh. Oops. Well, still impressive," he said. Even more curious, he picked up the vision notebook. "So how'd everything turn out the other day?"

"Pretty well. I have parents now, so that's good. Still feeling out a few things but we're all learning." The first few pages of the book had a ravaged temple, two women fighting an amorphous beast, and a gooey cocoon surrounded by eyes in darkness. Then there was a page missing from the book, followed by drawings of various places around the school.

"Heh. You're out of the 'we're too cool for families' club," he said as he leafed through. "You really saw this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and indicating the more... weird pictures at the start.

She nodded. "Apparently something that was going in my head. I'm not really experienced in that stuff yet, so don't ask me to explain it."

"So you don't always see actual, physical things, then?" he asked, suddenly more interested.

"Not always. Mom... I mean, Professor Weaver thinks I might also be sort of precog like she is. Anything's possible I suppose."

He looked at the pictures again, and he nodded. "Still not comfortable with the 'mom' thing?" he asked, guessing from the change.

"No, it just dawned on me that you might confused as to who I was referring to."

"Oh. Yeah. That," he said. Duh. "Do they get confused?" he asked, chuckling a little.

"No. They're Mom and Mum, so that helps."

He shook his head as he leafed a little more. "That whole thing's still hitting me as weird. Evil black-ops guys go to grow a super-mutant, and the two mutant samples they use come from people that just happen to get together later. Coincidences blow your mind sometimes."

"I suppose the lure of a possible precognitive telepath was too strong."

"Well yeah, that part makes sense. Just finding them years later both happening to be in the same apartment. Did they have other precogs there?"

"Not that I remember. But I don't remember a whole lot."

"Yeah, let's just count that a good thing and not tempt fate," he said. "Damn. I can see and I can't draw like this. Screw you, world."

"The reason I can do this is probably not a particularly good one," she pointed out.

"Maybe," he said, shrugging. "Talent's talent. Better not to think like that."

"Hard to avoid it sometimes." She made some adjustments to the layout sketch she was working on. Suddenly, she looked up, staring straight ahead. "Book, please," she said, holding her hand out for the notebook he was holding.

And he quickly handed the book over to her, after a second of brief confusion. He shut up, figuring this was something she didn't need idiot questions distracting her from.

She grabbed the book and flipped it open to a blank page, reaching into the pencil case and starting to draw, swapping back and forth between several colors with frantic rapidity. A humanoid figure began to take shape. It appeared to be dressed in some sort of long, dark toga with a red hooded cloak. In one hand, she held a sword. The interior of the hood just barely had facial features, but unmistakable were a pair of red, glowing eyes. As her pace began to slow down, she was adding one last detail to the sword: blood dripping off of it. She put her pencil down and stared at the image, speechless for a moment.

Daniel looked at it over her shoulder. "Well, that's... interesting. Is that happening? Or is this a prophecy thing?"

"Ummm... don't know," she finally said. "Could be either..."

"Y'know, I meant to ask... what's up with the chunk of pages that are missing?"

"It was a picture I drew for a friend before I realized I probably should keep two books."

"Oh. Okay, yeah, that makes sense," he chuckled. "Sorry, you get around enough you start seeing something ominous in everything."

"Oh, yeah. I could see how you'd think that. Sorry."

"S'all right. I don't need to go making up ominous when the real thing's staring me in the face."

"Don't tell anyone else about this, okay?" Miranda seemed really nervous.