Good News (closed)

[Levi Xu]

"Hey kiddo. Your dad wanted me to check on you. He's been swamped with people today, so he's not going to visit until a bit later." The doctor walked into a small room, making the young teenager look up from his game of cards, which he was playing against himself. The doctors and nurses who saw him had an ongoing attempt to derive the rules of it. The few who had actually asked the boy to explain it had been given an extremely long, detailed, and ultimately inexplicable premise, with a disturbing set of rules.

Levi Xu looked up and smiled slightly. "That's okay Dr. Perry." He packed up his cards, then turned so his legs were swinging off the edge of the bed and he was facing the doctor.

"Levi, we've talked about this, haven't we?"

"About what?"

"What's my name?"

Levi sighed, and nodded slowly "Your name is Dr. Wilson. You're not named Dr. Perry and you didn't kill yourself in high school."

"Good. How do you feel today, Levi?"

"Sane. But then again, I feel like this every day. You're the one who thinks I'm not. And Ba. And Nai Nai and Nomi too." If that was meant to be sarcastic, it didn't show in the boy's face. He was impassive, just answering the same questions he got every day at about this time, ever since his "mental break" when he started knowing things about people.

"You are sane, Levi." Dr. Wilson smiled, and let that sink in.

His eyes opened wide. Even though he'd been insisting that for weeks, they were finally going to believe him! "So you are Dr..."

"No, I am still Dr. Wilson. But we found something in your blood tests. Levi, we believe that you're a meta-human, and you have a power that is giving you these delusions." His voice was kind, and he sat at the opposite end of the bed from the patient, who could hardly stop himself from bouncing.

"So I can...dunno, predict the future? And that's what I see?" This was the most enthusiastic he'd been about anything since he'd played catch with another boy on the ward, whom he'd insisted was secretly a wizard. The boy had been delighted as well, and for a short time, they had been fast friends. Then the boy had been transferred to a different hospital, and Levi had been left alone, again.


Dr. Wilson looked over his clipboard and then said, "Well, we think this is probably a side-effect. But there is a school you will be sent to, where you can learn to control this. They're going to be sending someone here shortly to talk to you and your family about it."

"Does this mean I get to go home?"

The hope in his voice was hard for the man to disappoint, but he had to be honest. "We think it would be safer for you if you stayed here until they came for you. You don't want to end up in trouble again, do you?"

"No." Levi's grin vanished, and he pulled out his cards again.

The doctor stood up, and nodded once at the boy. "I need to go see some other, actually sick patients. So you'll be okay, right Levi?"

"Yes Dr. Perry."

"Levi." His voice was stern.

"Yes, Dr. Wilson."

The doctor smiled slightly and ruffled the boy's hair. He'd known the boy since he was born, until this sudden change. But it was nice to sometimes see the old Levi peek though. "Your dad will be by to see you later. He knows we've talked about this. Goodbye Levi."

"Goodbye." And he was back, entranced with his card game.

"What was that?"

"I said goodbye."

[Gabriel Underwood]

Gabriel liked flying.

He especially liked flying by himself, with no one alongside him except perhaps a dog and the pilot. No bickering between his comrades, no idle chitchat directed at raising positions, no smarming, no sucking up, no drunken scuffles.

Stabbing out his cigarette in the ash tray, Gabriel leant forward and pet his small travelling companion. Solo had insisted on coming along for the flight, and seeing as all the four legged members of M.S.A.D had pet passports, there were no qualms about quarantine. Solo perked his head, then raised onto his old legs, peering out the window as the small private jet touched down at the airport. The whole place was buzzing with tourists, a great deal of them human, but that wasn't why he was here. He had other fish to fry, and the piece of paper he fingered was that very reason.

At first, Gabriel had considered taking Jake with him. The other man was meant to be his loyal confidant, but recently, the taller man had suspicions about him. He was still edgy about the mistake in China, and had seen no signs of making up for the abysmal progress Jake had made in the country. He'd handle this first recruit alone, he'd decided, leaving nothing but a message with one of the others to let people know he'd be away for a day or so, and would be bringing back someone new.

As he made his way from the airport and headed through check-in towards a hired car, Solo scampered eagerly behind him, looking up with adoration for his master. "You're a good boy." Gabriel said softly, unlocking the car and setting out for the long drive to the Xu residence.

A few soft knocks later, a quiet discussion with Levi's father and grandma, and the tall man had pocketed his paper again. Stepping inside the house, he sat down in the living room with Solo on his lap and played his favourite card; the Nice Guy. Politely accepting a cup of tea and smiling his warmest smile to date, he waited patiently for Levi to come down the stairs. "Our school is strictly private." He explained. "Invite only. We believe Levi has an unusual gift, and we'd like to nurture and encourage it, along with functioning like a normal member of society." The lies dripped from his mouth as easily as flowers tempted butterflies with nectar. "Of course, we'd like to take him off tonight, preferably."

Solo snorted softly and yawned, resting his head on Gabriel's thigh. Having Solo would be a great help, presuming the boy liked animals, and if he didn't... well. He'd have to change that, by force.

[Levi Xu]

When Levi had first heard that he would finally be leaving the hospital, he'd been ecstatic. But he'd been disappointed to discover that he was going to be sent away, and this time he wouldn't even be in the same state, let alone hospital where his father worked.

At least he got to spend a little while at home, with Ba, Nai Nai, and Nomi. That was something, right?

He'd mostly stayed in his room, trying to teach his older sister how to play the card game that had flummoxed the staff at the hospital. Needless to say, Nomi hadn't grasped the rules either. But she was content to let Levi correct her every play. At least until she finally asked him, "So you're not really crazy then?"

"No." He put down his cards and looked at her, before saying, "And you're not actually a witch, are you?"

"No. Levi, did they explain what's going on with you? Why are you saying such weird stuff, if you're not crazy? What's the power that's making you see this stuff?" She put down her cards as well, glad to not have to deal with them any more.

"Dr. Wilson said the school was gonna send someone to talk to me and Dad. He thinks the delusions are side-effects of some kind of cool power. And I'm allowed to come back for holidays and stuff." The sound of a car in the driveway made him look up, and he stood and went to the window, to watch the man from the school and his...dog? walk into the house. "Apparently, they can make them better, and I won't know things about people anymore."

Nomi stood as well, and wrapped her arms around her little brother's shoulders. "But you'll be Levi again. And the stuff you 'knew' wasn't right."

He just looked at her, and they silently edged out to the landing, where they were able to listen to the conversation in the living room. They'd done it when they were little, during parties, after they'd been shoo'd up to bed. Often, their father would come upstairs to find his kids fast asleep on the floor.

But this time, Levi decided he'd go downstairs on his own. After all, they were talking about him, right? And for once, Nomi was the one who followed him.

When he stepped into the living room, he was inundated with flashes of information about the stranger. It was as if someone had made a slideshow, with big gaps, compressed it into a split-second, and then played it directly into his head. Levi gasped, and if his sister wasn't standing right behind him, he might have bolted right then. But Nomi caught hold of his shoulders and held him in place, and the boy quickly reviewed the information in his head.

And instead of introducing himself, or asking for the stranger's name, or anything to do with his powers, he said, "I thought dogs didn't like vampires."

[Gabriel Underwood]

Solo's little head kept perking at the sound of everyone's voices around him, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as Gabriel poured a little of the tea onto his saucer for him. As the adults spoke, Gabriel felt himself settle into this role comfortably, showing pictures in a folder of the "institute".

"Ah, is this Levi?" He said warmly as the boy appeared in the doorway, rising slowly from his chair and letting the old beagle trot over and sniff his legs, wagging happily. "Vampires?" Running a hand through his hair, the man chuckled softly. "My name is Mr. Underwood. I'll be one of your mentors." He said warmly, tilting his head to the side. "And the dog at your feet is Solo. He's a teaching aide, especially if you get stressed or homesick." Nodding his head, Gabriel returned to his seat. "Your father has told me all about your power. It sounds very frustrating for you." His voice was soft, nothing like the low growl he had normally.

"I have pictures for you, if you'd like." The man added, unzipping his portfolio and laying pictures of the place and a few snaps of the "teachers" on the table. "Please don't worry, Levi. I don't bite, even if I am a vampire." He said, smiling benignly. "Classes are very small, and I promise you, you'll have the ability to see things as they are, and as you see them still. We'd never take that from you." Gabriel's voice was soft and reassuring, as Solo sat by his feet once more, yawning. He looked expectantly at this young meta. His power wasn't exactly what he was after, but any meta on his side would likely be a good meta.

If he could, he'd try and get the boy out tonight, back on the plane and start getting the others to work on his side effects. Teach him the trade, give him the little seed of human mistrust. "You're special, Levi." Gabriel insisted, his voice soft and smooth.

[Levi Xu]

Levi looked from the old beagle to the stranger, before dropping to one knee to give the dog a good scratch on the back. He was friendly, and if the dog liked the man....well, weren't they supposed to be a good judge of character?

Or was that cats?

He still hadn't said anything, so his father spoke up. "Levi..."

The boy stood, and listened to what the stranger had to say. At first his face was blank, but he broke into a wide smile when Mr. Underwood repeated the word vampire.

He was right. Someone finally admitted he was right.

"So you really are a vampire then? Cool!" He was so relieved to have someone believe him for once, he liked the man instantly. Plus, he had a nice dog. "Are there other vampires at the school? Is that your power?" Levi picked up one of the photos, of a brown-haired man with his arm around...air, as if his arm was around the shoulders of a friend.

His eyebrows knit together, studying the picture, then he smiled. "This is you, right?" Levi pointed to the empty space, then showed the picture of Gabriel and Jake to his sister, who was still standing behind him, like a bodyguard.

Nomi looked at it, then said softly, "Levi, there are two people there."

He rolled his eyes and retorted, "No. Because vampires don't appear in pictures, do they Mr. Underwood?" Again, the boy frowned, thinking, before he asked, "How did you get here in the sunlight? Is that just a myth? That you can only go out at night? Are you going to drink my blood? Please don't."

As he spoke, he flicked through some more of the pictures. They looked interesting enough, and at least he'd get to go outside, "Will I have to keep to a schedule when I'll be allowed to go into the garden?" That was one of the things he had hated the most about the hospital. "And what is my power, exactly?"

[Gabriel Underwood]

Gabriel actually had a genuine smile as Levi scratched Solo. The little dog looked delighted as he recieved the scratch, and trotted around Levi's legs, tail wagging. Anyone who liked dogs like that would get on just fine in the organisation. Leaning forward, the man had a grin on his lips, and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I must be somewhere, mustn't I?" He said, finishing his tea and setting it down on the table, arching a brow as Levi smiled. "That's Jacob Lawrence. He's often away, but you'd like him. He's a friendly man." Gabriel rubbed his stubble and yawned. "If you want, I can talk you through the people at the Institute, to get you settled." Laughing gently, Gabriel lifted Solo up into his arms and stroked the dog's back.

Gabriel listened to Levi with a curious look on his face, then shrugged and laughed. "Well, we'll have to see how your power develops." He said softly, nodding. "So I may not know what your power is right now, but when I do, we'll cope with it. You're not a freak, Levi. And you aren't insane." Solo let out a soft woof as though approving of his owner's statement, and he lay down on the floor, watching Levi. "But, I can travel in sunlight, and I don't drink blood. However, I do have a power." He nodded softly.

"It's called puppetry. I can make people do things they wouldn't normally do." Gabriel said, his voice low and soothing. "And you can go outside whenever you like, providing you work hard in lessons. We have lots of ground for you to roam in, and the dogs like having someone to play with." Putting the photos away once more, the man closed his eyes for a moment. "You can leave with me in a few hours, if you'd like."

[Levi Xu]

Of course Levi liked dogs. Levi liked everyone. Well, almost everyone. He liked most people, because he found them all so incredibly interesting. He also was under the impression that they were entirely different people than who they actually were. But that's neither here nor there.

It really helped Gabe's cause that he didn't insist that he was in the picture, even though he clearly was. Levi looked back at Nomi and smirked, then handed the photo back to him. "What's his job?"

And the next thing was even better. Levi knew he wasn't a freak, or a liar, or crazy, and it was nice to have someone "official" agree. Maybe, maybe he wouldn't hate this school as much as he'd thought he would. And if Mr. Underwood and his friends were able to help him learn to control this, then maybe they could figure out why he knew things like that about people, and he could come home.

"Puppetry?" Levi echoed; that was the kind of thing that people were afraid of, the kind of powers that got whispered about a year ago when one of the kids in his class was suddenly sent to a boarding school, far away.

But again, dogs were a good judge of character, and Levi just wanted to believe him. And him wanting it was probably the biggest help, besides the fact that he was under the impression that he was going away with this man, whether he wanted to or not.

He had to get trained, after all.

"Yeah. My stuff still isn't unpacked from the hospital." There was a trace of resentment in his voice at that. Though he knew that his dad wanted to protect him, it hurt that he'd been kept in the hospital for weeks until they figured it out, and then he'd been home for only long enough for Mr. Underwood to show up and take him away again. "Will I get to come back for my birthday?"

[Gabriel Underwood]

Gabriel nodded gently and looked over to Levi's grandmother. "I promise he'll be taken care of. Our students are treated more like families than just spare bodies." He reassured, standing up and offering his hand out for Levi to shake. "Welcome to the family, Levi. We have pizza nights on Fridays." The man looked amused, his eyes deceptively warm and friendly. "There's large lawns, and we have several dogs. You can choose your bedroom, too."

Perhaps if Gabriel hadn't been born with a bad streak, the man would have made a fantastic actor, but then, he had many skills to his bow. Business, politics, acting, and in fact, not a bad cook either if he could ever be bothered (he couldn't). He could even play the piano, if Levi fancied learning, he could teach him that, too.

"Yes. Puppetry." He said softly, nodding his head. "Puppetry sounds horrible, but it can be really useful. Imagine if you could stop someone hurting themselves! Or stop criminals." He nodded, letting Solo lick his cheek and nuzzle against him. "Every power, no matter how scary, has a reason to be around." He broke into another smile, then glanced back at Levi's guardians. "We'll get going then?" He offered, his voice still soft and lilting.

Moving to the doorway, Gabriel left a contact number and card for the Xu family, nodding warmly to Nomi. "I think we could arrange that." The man said with a twinkle in his eye. "When is your birthday, Levi?" Taking his car keys from his pocket, Gabriel said a few more reassuring words to the rest of the family, then went outside to open the boot of the car for Levi's belongings. "We provide our students with phones to call the outside world, so you can have lots of conversations with your family." He added, opening the door for Solo to snuggle into the back seat.

Leaning against the car door, Gabriel had the desperate urge to start doing a victory dance. But no, he'd save that for when Levi was safely in the organisation's grasp, and they'd touched down back in Vermont. God he was good.

[Levi Xu]

When Levi had first heard of this school, he'd assumed it was much more...well, institutional. But if he got to pick his own room and they had dogs, then he would be much happier with relocating to there. He hadn't wanted to go to another place that would be just like the hospital.

But this sounded different. Exciting. He wanted to go and meet other kids like him. Maybe then he wouldn't be so lonely.

And then it seemed like they were on their way, and in the activity, Levi suddenly felt like he was invisible. He'd been away from home so long that it would be easy for his family to get used to him being gone.

He looked up at the man when he asked about his birthday. "January third. I'm fourteen." But Mr. Underwood probably knew that already. He probably had a file on him and everything. "Thank you, Mr. Underwood."

Then Levi turned and hugged his grandmother goodbye. She patted him on the back and whispered something encouraging in his ear, then let him go. His father patted him on the shoulder, and Levi looked at him for a moment, before latching onto him in a tight hug. Finally, he let go and turned to Nomi, who gave him a quick hug and then mussed his hair. "You'll be fine, spacecase."

He felt a little better.

Levi turned and looked up at Mr. Underwood, ready to go to this school, and to fix the parts of him that were wrong, so he could come home. He smiled and said "Shotgun," then clambered into the passenger seat.

[Gabriel Underwood]

Gabriel hovered quietly as Levi said goodbye to his family, taking the time to put his luggage in the back, then moving round to the driver's seat, chuckling and shaking his head. "Alright, lets go then." He said smoothly, starting the car engine and making sure Solo was settled at the back. "Buckle up. Mr. Lawrence seems to think I'm a crazy driver, and I don't want to break you before we get you to your new home." He said, laughing softly, and beginning to pull out the driveway.

In an odd act of compassion, Gabriel put a hand on Levi's shoulder before they completely left the drive. "It'll be alright, you know? Things'll look up pretty soon." Giving Levi a reassuring smile, the man finally drove the car out into the road, and away from the Xu residence. It took a while for the man to speak again, as the road stretched out in front of them, and he turned on the radio, humming quietly to the music. Even Solo seemed to enjoy the drive, his body pressed against the car as he looked out the window.

Eventually, the airport came into sight, and Gabriel grinned confidently. "Well, Levi, you ready to board Underwood Flights?" He asked, parking up and taking the luggage back out the vehicle, handing the keys back over to the desk and yawning. "It's nice and private, and if you're hungry we can have something on board, alright?" He asked, clipping Solo back up to the lead and walking through the airport casually. "Ever flown before, Levi?" His voice sounded curious, as he handed over the travel documents to the boarding staff, and flipped his phone open, calling the pilot and asking him to prepare to take off.

Slowly, the pair of them travelled down the corridors and out onto a quiet landing strip, where the private jet sat. "There's everything you'll want in there. Video games, food, snacks." Running his hands through his hair, Gabriel smiled. "Or you can just sleep. I don't mind." The jet door opened slowly, and the man walked up, Solo in toe. "Make yourself comfortable."

[Levi Xu]

Levi just nodded and buckled himself in. As they pulled away from his house, he turned in his seat, so he could wave goodbye to his family. How had this happened so fast? It seems like it had only been minutes since he'd come home from the hospital, and only days since he'd been admitted in the first place. The hand on his shoulder was comforting, so he turned and smiled at Mr. Underwood. Yeah, it was going to be okay.

The drive wasn't too long, but it was long enough for Levi to get entirely wrapped up in his head, so when they'd reached the airport, he'd been surprised. The miles of road had sort of blurred together for him, adding to the whirlwind he was swept up in.

But he tried to be less in his own head as Mr. Underwood spoke to him, and he took one of the bags from the man, pulling it behind him "Underwood flights? You have your own plane? How'd you get it? Are you rich? Wait, that's rude to ask; I'm sorry." He'd thought that the school had been the one to send Mr. Underwood to collect him. If he brought his own plane to do that....

For he first time since the man had said it, back at his house, Levi felt special.

"Yeah, I've flown before. We visited some family back in China a few years ago, and we went to the Grand Canyon last year." That was before his power had manifested though.

He'd never been on such a small plane though. The private jet was luxurious, and the boy just gaped at it. When he walked up the stairs, he was even more surprised to see the inside of it. Levi chose a seat on a bench-like sofa on one side of the plane. "Does it have seatbelts?" He'd thought that they were supposed to be important, but not nearly as important as his next question. Solo hopped up onto the seat next to him and curled up to sleep. "Is he allowed to be on here? Because I think I'd like to join him." Levi had suddenly realized that he was tired, and he wanted nothing more than to snuggle up against the old hound and sleep.

[Gabriel Underwood]

Gabriel was pleased with Levi's reaction to the private jet, and he looked over with a smirk. "Yes, I am rich." He said softly, ruffling Levi's hair. "It's fine to ask. I don't know many people who would pick up a student in a private jet." Walking towards a fridge and pouring himself a lemonade, the man looked over to Solo and smiled, shaking his head. Once he was settled into a leather recliner, he arched a brow.

"The Grand Canyon?" He asked, spinning the chair round to face Levi. "I'm rather fond of that place. Very natural, untouched." Gabriel had only been to the Grand Canyon twice in his time in America. The first, he had been much younger and eager, taken with his family to see the sights. The second, he was older, and on a private little holiday with Jake. It still held all the awe, no matter how many times he saw it, and Gabriel was never impressed easily.

"Solo is my oldest dog." Gabriel said slowly, pushing his fingers together for a moment. "He is allowed to go anywhere he damn well wants." Smiling, the man got up and opened another door, nodding through to a room with snuggly looking curved beds, private enough for many people to sleep without being stared at. "If you want to sleep somewhere by yourself, you're more than welcome to go in there. If you get hungry, give me a shout and I'll try and make us some sandwiches."

Settling back in the chair, Gabriel laughed at the seatbelt question. "There are seatbelts on the recliners, not on the sofas." He replied, staring at his lemonade and deciding it could do with a little something alcoholic. "I'll wake you up when we're in Vermont." The tall man added, rubbing his chin and giving Levi the thumbs up. "Sleep tight."

[Levi Xu]

It was a relief to discover that Mr. Underwood didn't think he was rude for asking about his wealth. That was the kind of rudeness Nai Nai disliked. But he couldn't have helped asking; the plane was just so much he could hardly believe it. Sometimes, when he and Nomi had listened to the grownups talking in the living room, they'd complained about how the schools didn't get enough money.

If Mr. Underwood worked for the school, apparently this one was very well funded.

"Nomi liked the mules," Levi yawned, and settled back into the plush leather sofa, his hand protectively covering Solo's back as he gently stroked him. He'd taken on a personal responsibility to make sure the old dog wasn't scared by turbulence or something like that. That wouldn't do at all.

He nodded slowly as Gabe showed him the room with the beds. As it was, they looked pretty comfy. But he wanted to say right here, probably because he felt a little too tired to stand just then. And he was comfortable, and there was a warm little dog pressed up against his leg. What wasn't there to like about this? And if there was going to be sandwiches later, there wasn't much else that could possibly be better. He smiled a little to himself, then skritched under Solo's collar and murmured, "I wish she could come."

Even before his power had manifested, the boy had always been a little spacey. And his big sister had always looked out for him and protected him. It would be nice if she had a secret power as well, so she could go on this adventure too. In fact, that would be the one thing that would make this perfect.

Really, Levi didn't care all too much about whether or not he was buckled in. (He was more concerned about the dog.) When Mr. Underwood wished him a good sleep, he just shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll say up. I've never been to the East coast before."

That didn't stop him from dozing off no more then twelve minutes into the flight.

[Gabriel Underwood]

Gabriel had been an only child. There were no siblings to rival with, no one aside from himself. So having a bond between the siblings was unusual for him. But, he could vaguely grasp onto the notion, that security and affection from knowing someone from the moment you are born. It was because of this that Gabriel leant back in his chair and laughed gently. "You never know. She might change one day." He tried to sound hopeful for the boy, but the likelihood was she was human. Humans weren't worth a bean.

Solo, on the other hand, had opened one eye and given Levi a reassuring lick. This was a young human, and he smelt like soap. Plus he was giving the beagle lots of attention, which made the old boy wag happily. However, Levi's fears were unfounded. Solo had taken many, many trips with Gabriel on the plane now, and was only startled when his master acted worried. Yawning plaintively, the dog rested his jowls across Levi's lap, then returned to sleeping.

"He likes you." Gabriel said quietly, smiling around his drink. "Stay up if you want, I wont mind if you sleep." He laughed again, closing his own eyes for a moment to relax. Everything had gone so perfectly, so without a hitch that the man could hardly believe it. They were on the plane, and Vermont wasn't TOO far away. As the plane took off and made way towards the East, the man felt it was almost too good to be true. It would be a pain if the plane crashed or Levi went into cardiac arrest. Don't count your chickens before they've hatched was an irritating saying, but very much true in Gabriel's mind.

When Levi dozed off, Gabriel laughed very softly to himself and pulled a blanket over him and Solo, then moved to another room to make himself something to eat. It was a long day, and Levi would need to pick a room and get settled in. Meet the members. Then... then Gabriel had something he needed to do. Trust issues. He wasn't going to deal with the fall out of another one of Jake's major cock ups.

He scowled slightly, then bit into his sandwich.