The morning sun climbed higher in the sky as Dashuan and The Other soared over the rolling grasslands that went on seemingly forever under the spotted cloud cover.

Despite the urgency of their new circumstances, Dashuan couldn't help but soak in the sunrise's tingling warm embrace light he never had; a large smile breaking through the jerky flight patterns embarrassments.

Fields of gold and lush green stretched below them, cut up by the occasional cluster of trees or lonely farmhouse with its small animals.

"We need to go back," Dashuan stated, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between them as The Other slowly lost altitude and speed next to him.

The woman turned her head, her one good eye narrowing. "Back? To what? That pilot--Or New Heaven?"

Dashuan nodded.

"He might have valuable information. About who sent him, and where he came from. If we're going to understand what's happening, we need to start somewhere." For a moment, he thought she might refuse.

Yet, only she sighed, a sound of resignation.

"Fine," she spoke while planning her next landing to change trajectories.

"But only because I want to know which general he works under and which base he came from--Gotta thank 'em for my lack of depth perception, then I'll probably head to Fiji...Don'kno'"

It wasn't much, but it was a start.

He banked in the air, reversing course back towards the cornfield where they had left the pilot.

As he approached, followed by The Other after landing and gauging his path, it became clear that something was amiss.

There was movement in the field; the sound of raised voices carried on the wind almost as loud as their descent.

They anchored at the edge of the destroyed section of the cornfield, the devastation from the earlier electrified blast still evident.

What they saw made them both stop short, puzzled.

A short woman, her botoxed face etched with fury, was standing over the cowering pilot. In her hands, she wielded a pitchfork with surprising deftness, stabbing it threateningly at the terrified man in a circular motion.

"You think you can just come onto my land and set fire to my crops--Deep State shitbag!" she was screaming, her voice husky. "I'll teach you to respect other people's shit!"

The pilot was babbling incoherently, trying to protect himself with his arms as she encroached inward. "Please, ma'am, you don't understand! It wasn't me, I swear it was--" He went silent when seeing them over the shouting woman's shoulder

Dashuan and his companion exchanged a look.

"We should intervene," Dashuan said, taking a slow step forward into a puff of ashen grain.

The Other grabbed his arm, holding him back with a surprising amount of force. "Wait," she sizzled. "Let's see how this plays out. Might be entertaining."

Dashuan shot her a side eye but stayed put for the time being, not wanting to get into another all-out brawl with her so soon.

The irate agriculturalist raised her pitchfork higher, preparing to bring it down. "I'm gonna make sure you never--"

"Stop!" Dashuan called out, unable to stand by any longer as he sensed the malice radiating off the woman's angled thrust.

The farmer turned at the sound of his voice.

The pilot's eyes widened in recognition and understanding that it wasn't another night terror he was having.

The farmer, on the other hand, took one look at Dashuan and his companion and let out a terrified shriek into the swaying yellow corn.

In a move that would have been humorous under different possibilities, she sank her pitchfork into the ground and darted behind the pilot, using him as an impromptu human shield.

The pilot, for his part, seemed too shocked to react still to this point.

"W-who are you?" the farmer stammered, peering out from behind the pilot's shoulder. "What the hell are--"

Dashuan presented his hands, open palm to them. "We're not here to hurt anybody," he began, but was cut off by a sudden movement from the pilot.

With a scream of pure horrified affliction, the man reached into his military jacket and pulled out a small handgun. He fired two shots in rapid succession; one at Dashuan and one at the female Aberrant.

He saw the bullets coming, yet stood still.

Then almost without thinking, he moved, faster than he had before.

He headbutted one bullet out of the air, while the other Dashuan deflected with a quick swipe of his open hand, sending it harmlessly into the dirt to his right.

The gun clicked empty; the pilot's last two bullets spent.

A heavy silence fell over the field the four of them were left with nothing to say among the rinding of the shots carrying over the pasturelands.

Finally The Other chortled. "I told you,"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"I told you humans couldn't be trusted. We should leave now, before more of them show up." her voice was cold with vexation at the sustained attempts at her life.

Dashuan held back the surge of outrage rising within him, but it wasn't directed at the pilot or the farmer.

It was aimed at the fear, the misunderstanding, the cycle of violence that seemed to perpetuate itself around just existing as an Aberrant.

"No," he said, his voice firm.

He turned to face the trembling humans, his expression stern but not unkind. "Listen to me, both of you. I understand you're afraid of us. I understand this situation is beyond anything you've ever experienced.--But violence isn't the answer here."

He took a step forward, noting how they both flinched backward.

"We're not your enemies. We're people, just like you, trying to navigate a world that suddenly doesn't make sense anymore. The cornfield?" He gestured to the devastation around them.

"That was an accident, caused by powers we're still learning to control. The pilot here? He's as much a victim of circumstance as anyone."

Dashuan took a deep breath, judging the weight of his next words. "We're all scared. We're all confused. But if we let that fear turn us against each other, we all lose. So please, can we just act like normal people?"

Slowly, the farmer stepped out from behind the pilot.

Her face was still pale with fear, but there was a glimmer of something else in her eyes. Understanding, perhaps. Or at least a willingness to listen for the time.

"I... I'm sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I just saw my crops destroyed and I... I didn't know what to think."

The pilot lowered his empty gun, his hands still shaking. "I'm sorry too," he muttered but did not release any tension in his shoulders.

Dashuan felt a wave of relief wash over him.

He turned to his companion, expecting to see a similar reaction to the changing of these peoples' minds. Instead, he found her glaring at the humans, her fists balled as her one eye lapped up their terror.

"This is a waste of time," she spat.

"They'll turn on us the moment they get the chance. I'm leaving."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and launched herself into the atmosphere, quickly becoming a speck in the distant skyline.

Dashuan watched her go, a mix of frustration and disappointment settling in his chest as he only stood and watched. He turned back to the farmer and the pilot, offering them a tired smile.

"Thank you," he said softly. "For being brave enough to listen. For being willing to understand; even for a second."

The farmer let a gentle smile free, a tentative look in her eye. "y-you're welcome..."

The pilot looked up, his eyes still wide with fear but also a hint of wonder. "You just--Ripped me right out the cockpit you son of a bitch!" He finally said as anger washed away the subtle notes of recognition Dashuan thought he saw.

He chuckled though, the sound tinged with a hint of sadness. "Seriously? You tried to shoot me with a missile...You're lucky I let you live, dick."

Dashuan felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. The events of the past day, the emotional rollercoaster, the constant tension--it was all catching up to him though he had a bountiful night of sleep; his body still ached from the fights he had sustained.

Dashuan took to the sky.

He had to find his companion, to try and smooth things over, to figure out their next move, or else he felt he risked the chance of losing her.

Dashuan found her perched atop a lonely rocky peak, her back to him as she gazed out over the Kansas terrain.

As he landed beside her, she spoke without turning. "I was wondering if you'd follow," she said neutrally.

Dashuan settled beside her, letting his legs dangle over the edge of the cliff like a child. "Of course I did, It's Dashuan by the way" he replied. "Thought you should know, since we're in this together now, aren't we?"

She turned to face him then, her expression unreadable but unmistakable.

Annoyance.

"I don't even know you--and there isn't 'This or We'. Clearly, you want to protect people who hate you. We are nothing alike."

Dashuan sighed. "They're just scared, like us. But they listened! They were willing to understand and see me as a person! That's got to count for something, right!?" His hand broke the rock beneath it as he accidentally slammed it in excitement.

The woman was quiet for a long moment, her eyes darting between different points in his face; illuminated by his lilac glow.

Then, to Dashuan's surprise, she let out a faint giggle. "You're something else, you know that? You're probably more dangerous than me and them combined--What kind of idiot does what you did, huh? You ruined your life for fucking nothing!"

"It wasn't for nothing," Dashuan said with a grin. "I met you, didn't I? Saved you also--without even knowing your name."

She hesitated, then shrugged. "Arc," she said grudgingly. "It's a designation--you'll get one too soon enough with how much you like to show off."

Dashuan couldn't help it. He burst out laughing.

Arc's eyes narrowed. "What's funny?"

"Nothin', nothin'," Dashuan displayed his hands like he always did, trying to stifle his laughter from spilling out. "It's just... Arc? Really? That's so..."

"So what?" Arc demanded, her voice taking on a dangerous edge as the air heated up instantaneously.

Dashuan held his head high, still grinning. "Hey, it's a good name. Very... electrifying!"

Arc groaned, but Dashuan could swear he saw the ghost of a smile trying to make its way through her frowning face. "You're an AssHat" she mumbled.

As their amusement faded, a more serious atmosphere settled over them.

They discussed what they had learned from the pilot's uniform--Man had come from a base known as Area 68, the ground zero for Abbarant defense logistics as told by Arc. It wasn't good news for either of them, the government was mobilizing much quicker than they previously had in the last decade; possibly spurred on by the now multiple attacks on New Heaven by Aberrant and Aberrant sympathy groups.

"So," Dashuan said after a lull in the conversation, "what's the next move?"

Arc turned to him, her expression serious. "Our next move? There is no 'our',--Dashuan...We need to split up."

He felt his heart sink. "W-What? The fuck, why!?"

"Think about it," Arc said tossing a small pebble into his forehead.

"Two Aberrants traveling together? We'll draw too much attention. It's safer if we go our separate ways--and like I said, I do not know you. You seem like trouble...There's no room for little mess-ups where I go, the mayor should still be alive."

Dashuan wanted to argue, to insist that they stick together, but he could see the logic in her words.

Still, the thought of being alone again, of facing this strange new world without an ally, filled him with a deep sense of gloom that threatened to bring a tear to his eye.

Arc seemed to sense his mood.

Her expression softened slightly to Dashuans shock. "Look, I'm not saying we'll never see each other again. I'm going to investigate that base, kill the general in charge of the program. You... well, you do whatever it is you do. Help old ladies cross the street or rescue kittens from trees or whatever...Im assuming that's what wanted to do when you showed the world your powers right?"

Despite himself, Dashuan chuckled. "Naturally, the streets are too dangerous for jaywalking old woman; somebodies gotta make sure they get a ticket and across the street safely."

Arc stood there chuckling, stretching her arms above her head. "I'm sure we'll cross paths again," she declared. "Unless we die, of course--Probably you before me."

"Well, shit, at least have some faith in me" Dashuan mumbled.

Arc smirked.

"Just being realistic. This isn't a game, Dashuan. The world is changing, and not everyone is going to be as understanding as your farmer friend back there."

Dashuan nodded, the weight of his dreads reminding him that he needed a retwist. "I know," he said softly. "Be careful out there, Arc." he snickered slightly.

She nodded in turn, then without a word, launched herself into the sky with an electrified jump. Dashuan watched her go until she was nothing left of the Beautiful woman he barely knew

Left alone on the rocky outcrop, Dashuan looked to the quiet rolling fields before him.

Something bubbled, it was a feeling he was all too familiar with, one that had been his constant companion for years.

Now, after the whirlwind of the past day, after meeting Arc and experiencing a brief taste of camaraderie, the absolute solitude felt even more acute.

With a heavy groan, he stood up, stretching his limbs painfully. He needed to move, to do something, anything to distract himself from the emptiness that threatened to engulf him and the steady ache of his injuries.

Dashuan took to the sky, pushing himself higher and faster than normal.

He dove and swooped, testing the limits of his flight abilities by straining himself against the G force. "If only there was a way to measure all this shit, maybe record myself and see what im doing wrong?" Dashuan said after a more painful crash landing among the corn.

When he tired of that, he left in a wooden secluded clearing and began to experiment with his strength, lifting small boulders and uprooting trees with ease as he punched deep strikes into their solid inner makings.

As the sun began to set, casting dancing shadows, Dashuan found himself perched on another rocky outcrop, gazing out at the world below.

He was exhausted, physically and emotionally drained, but no closer to understanding the source of his powers or his place in this changing world as Arc was not gone.

Why did he have these abilities? Where did they come from? And more importantly, what was he supposed to do with them? There weren't any 'bad guys'--He was the threat, maybe if he could negotiate some sort of deal with someone in charge.

The questions swirled in his mind, unanswered and daunting in their means.

As night fell, Dashuan realized that despite all his power, despite the incredible things he could do, he felt more lost and alone than ever before somehow.

He watched the first stars appear in the darkening sky.

Dashuan might be alone for now, he thought, but he wasn't helpless. He had these powers for a reason, even if he didn't understand what that reason was yet. He would find answers, he would make a difference, and maybe, just maybe, he would find a place where he truly belonged.

With that thought warming him against the cool night air, Dashuan closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep, high above the world, poised on the cusp of--

Greatness?